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A Morning View From the Wood Stove

The word patience has shown up quite often recently and I do not like it. 

When things go wrong with technology and I have tried over and over to take my time and get it to work but it doesn't happen, I am easily frustrated and defeated. Patience.....

When I am on the highway and everyone else is an idiot, but not me, I get angry. Patience.....

When I have something urgent in my world and others do not seem to understand, it can become irritating. Patience.....

When I look for approval and seem to never get it, or at least the way I desire it, I am easily hurt. 

Every Facebook post I make I look to see who liked, cared or loved, especially The Morning View.  I easily am disappointed when what I desire is missing. Patience.....

I seek and need affirmation and approval and fell neglected when I do not get it. Patience.....

When people do not think like me and react in the way I expect them to react, I am frustrated. Patience.....

If I am disagreed with I do not understand. Patience.....

When I feel ignored I am diminished. Patience.....

When I make major mistakes and have major recovery, I do not understand why everything is not alright. Patience.....

When I feel like normal and my spirit is so much better while growing, why can't it be like or even better than before? Patience.....

When I feel let down because my prayer for another is not answered the way I want it, I am disappointed. Patience.....

When I have the best and lose it because of mistakes and hurting others, but I am better working hard to be different and am fixing it, but time is necessary, I am deeply sad and defeated. Patience.....

I am sure you may struggle with many of these situations as well as others specific to you. Life is difficult! But do you notice something as you read this? There is a common word I use a lot...... "I" Patience.....

Patience is not about I, patience is about waiting on the Lord and on others. It is not about a selfish I. Patience is a difficult and often frustrating place to sit with hope and trust. Patience.....

Patience is often overlooked, at least by me, when reading the scripture. We talk about Hope, Love, Joy and Peace during Advent. Faith is a HUGE word in out vocabulary as Christians. Repentance and forgiveness are used frequently in our spiritual conversations. Patience seems to be a lesser word and perhaps is easily forgotten, but lack of patience makes everything else bigger, perhaps even bigger than it needs to be or even is. Patience.....

1 Corinthians 13 is called the love chapter, but when describing love, what is the first characteristic? “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT

So in the unsettled turmoil of the soul, where do we turn and how do we "fix" our selfishness? How does patience become bigger than selfishness? Is it possible for all the desires above to change into positives? Absolutely yes, but they cannot be changed by you or me, but by the Spirit of God. 

I, you and we must do our part, but patience waiting on the Holy Spirit is critical. 

Patience.....
PB







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