Patience

I have struggled with patience my entire life. While it seems this virtue comes fairly easily to some, I seem to always be battling my fleshly nature in this area. Motherhood has certainly given me ample opportunity to be tested. Sometimes I choose to submit myself to the Lord and regain some perspective, but far too often I am apologizing after the fact for my inability to display patience in my tone (or heavy sighs and eye rolling) :-{

Being stuck indoors for a long, rainy call weekend certainly reminded me that I have a LONG way to go in surrendering this part of my personality to the Lord's leadership. I was reminded of something I read some time ago on patience that warranted rereading:

"Patience stops problems in their tracks. More than biting your lip, more than clapping a hand over your mouth, patience is a deep breath. It clears the air....It is a choice to control your emotions rather than allowing your emotions to control you, and shows discretion rather than returning evil for evil."

The chapter continues with this other gem: "Patience helps you give your spouse (children) permission to be human. It understands everyone fails. When a mistake is made, it chooses to give them more time than they deserve to correct it...Few of us do patience very well, and none of us do it naturally. But wise men and women will pursue it as an essential ingredient in their marriage (parenting) relationships."

-From The Love Dare by Stephen and Alex Kendrick

Lord, help me embrace patience as one of the essential aspects of love. Give me the grace and humility to lay my expectations at your feet and take on a selfless love that is only possible through You. Forgive me for the way I have pridefully and selfishly reacted when things weren't going the way I wanted. Help me model in some small way your incomprehensible love by treating those in my care with patience and kindness. I can't do it without you, Lord.