PATIENCE...

(calm endurance of pain; quiet & self-possessed;
waiting for something;
 living in the silence; peaceful;
OR...be irritated by no longest able to endure)

     It is one of those completely misleading words.....on the surface it seems harmless enough...BUT as we all know...Looks can be deceiving... when you start reading the definitions...WOW!!!! Here are a few of the definitions...

 

Don't lose your temper, don't hold hard feelings toward your brother, be forgiving, hold tight to the iron rod, hold strong and true to your covenants and convictions, allow others to make mistakes and not take it personal...just to name a few.

      It is one of those rare words that brings immediate reaction of "OH KRAP!" cause you just know that it is gonna take you thru a process that usually involves work and usually a fair amount of time.  And there is always something we can learn from it. I guess for me....it like the Lord is sayin "batten down the hatches, it's gonna be a bumpy ride." There never seems to be a "fast-track" thru it so be sure you turn to Him always and take in every moment of this. This is where you find out who your co-pilot truly is because we all know that there will be more unpleasant stuff thrown at you trying to pull you down ...so you can but BE SURE to be open the line of communication as you learn to rely on Him more fully.

PATIENCE = BRAVE!!!

(definitely an action word)

It involves action that isn’t' easily mastered...it takes humbling yourself and understanding that you need to be patient with a few key people to really live this concept...

1)Be patient with yourself!!! You are not gonna be perfect overnight, you are gonna   have to departmentalize your pain and your exhaustion...when it hits the wall

2)Acknowledge and be patient with your limitations - no matter how temporary they are

 

3)Be patient with those who come to serve you - it might not get done exactly the way you do things but it's done to their best ability and you should be  truly thankful... not nitpicking every detail to point out all the "wrong" things they did.)

 

     We need to search deep down in our hearts to realize that these are definitely a gift from God but it will be a rocky path with lots of pitfalls and discouragements and most importantly....it isn't easily achieved, but when we are being pushed beyond what we think is our limit...we are quick to realize that it has been replaced with such inner peace and you fully KNOW trust the Lord's plan and that often means holding tight to that iron rod and peacefully enduring to the end.

     

     It is important to acknowledge at this point that we will want to race thru parts of this journey but we also realize that we really need to sit back (with that testimony in your heart that God knows all) and feel to our very soul that He gives us these things to build our testimonies (even our very character) and to gain experience. We need to sit back and experience all of it...the hard and the easy, the pain and health, the alone and encircled by both the heavenly ones and earthly ones. What better way to watch and learn? We are powerless to find anyway to rush thru

     Believe me...
Patience is nowhere near my fave lesson to learn!!!

 BUT that being said... it is a lesson nonetheless and without them we wouldn't be who we are... you see...every breath we take, every decision we make, any change that a random thought brings you...leaves a mark on our soul either for good or bad. How many of these lessons will force us to follow thru all of it and make us humble and willing to become what the Lord has created to be??? Do we trust and reap the blessing or stand frozen in place letting FEAR over power us?

 

 
BEING BRAVE!!!!!
It really comes down to one BIG question...

What are you willing to do without ??