3/30/11

Growing in Patience - by Faith

I had hoped for a fantastic tutorial post to wrap up March. Nope. Hence my actual post.


Lately, it seems, that the Lord is giving me many ways to exercise patience. Or, rather, to ask for His patience to pour into me so that I can turn attempt to live it out. As sisters, wives, mothers, friends, co-workers, you-name-it, we know that having patience is SO much easier said than done!


When will the colds/ear infections go away?

Have patience, my child.


When can I get all the laundry washed/dried/folded? House clean? Etc. when said children keep seeming to get sick?

Have patience, my child.


Why does my 4 year old have to push limits ALL.THE.TIME? (at least it feels like that)

Have patience as you teach him obedience.




I am finding that as God reminds me to have patience, it is also a lesson for me in priorities. My priorities are, well, mine! And often when I find that little monster of impatience creeping out of my speech, into my thoughts, it is because I am focused on what I think/need/want to get done, rather than keeping focused on what God sees as truly important.



I have lately felt so impatient with myself. Why am I not further along in my walk with God? Why do I struggle with many of the same things over and over? Why do I lose my temper more often than I would like? And as I have wrestled with those questions - I find God has told me to have patience. Not in a passive manner ... but the patience of seeking His Will, reading His Word, and allowing the process of transformation to occur along His timeline. I would prefer instant transformation! Wouldn't we all? But my sinful nature doesn't really want to give up without a fight. And so I am finding that humbling myself before the Cross is really all I can do. Humbling myself by asking forgiveness of my son when I snap at him rather than taking a deep breath and responding in love. Humbling myself by allowing others over to my house when I would rather have it looking my cleaner (that is a true challenge for me). Humbling myself by acknowledging that I am so far from having it all together, but, thankfully, He isn't expecting me to.


And that's it. Perhaps this is only where I am at - and you are far beyond me! But, the honest truth was that a fantastic tutorial post on my agenda for the day. And God came right in at 9:30 a.m. this morning and threw my agenda out the window ...

5 comments:

  1. What a timely post!! I have found myself losing patience with Lash so often lately. I blame it on him entering the terrible 2's phase, but I'm sure it is just me. Yesterday I picked him up when he was crying, looked him in the eye and said (in a stern voice) "what is wrong?!?!". I'm not sure if I actually expected a response or not. Whatever the case, it was not how I should have responded. Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. beautiful post. I am an impatient person, and sometimes, especially when dealing with my children, it hits me how amazingly patient God is with me, His child. I especially loved the part about patience coming through reading His Word. The more I learn and remember about the Lord, the more I relax. The more I relax, the more patience I have. For me, at least, my impatience comes from not trusting Him/His timing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. There is a reason "Be still and know that I am God" is written on the wall in my kitchen. I am, in the flesh, a VERY impatient person. I have an extremely hot temper and I don't ever feel that I am learning, doing, being fast enough. But the Lord has been teaching to Be still. And I am grasping it ever to slowly. I also find that I am usually only impatient when I am operating in my own agenda. So this is something I have been trying to lay down over...and over...and over again. Excellent post!

    ReplyDelete
  4. This post was a huge blessing to me!! I have 3 children 16, 13, 11...need I say more? :-) They test me quite often.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am so glad that this meant something to anyone else! Before I posted, I seriously contemplated not posting at all and emailing my fellow posters some wimpy excuse. Ahhhhhh, God knew what He was doing. Thanks for the encouragement - may we ALL respond to His teaching in this area - that's the only hope for me!

    ReplyDelete