Anyone remember Quigley’s Village? Danny Lion and his sister, Lemon? Singing that song?
Patience, have Patience? Obviously, some children learn better than their mothers!
I received a specific message I know God meant for me to read yesterday. His gentle reminder that He knew where I was the day before and the place of patience was not its name. With a very curious crawling 8-month old grandson (think greased up bowling ball with a thousand limbs and nowhere to grasp on- he weighs 25 pounds!) and the very (every day is a party waiting to happen, and limits, what limits?) 6-year old granddaughter.
I was convicted.
No, not just convicted.
I was waylaid, ambushed, smitten, yea, struck down by a statement of Ann Voskamp’s in one of her blog posts that I just happened to read: {Now is not an emergency to rip through, but a moment to embrace with gratitude.}
I think I’ve spent most every waking moment of my life living like it WAS an emergency to rip through.
It was tough! Not enough sleep for several days and a road trip in the days leading up to it created a physical exhaustion which limited my ability to be kind when it was most needed, and I was counting the hours til i could collapse. I’m sorry kids!
God used her words to truly point out, in the kindest fashion, what the problem is- I gave up praying for patience years ago, decided that the only way I was going to get through the tough stuff was endurance- just get me through it, Lord, I don’t care how. And He answered me. I did. I had endurance and I got through a LOT OF STUFF. Just tucked in and trudged through the mire and mud.
Now- “Ouch, that velvet hammer on the head hurts, Lord!”- I realize that is exactly why I need to pray for patience in the here and now! Yes, I feel like dirt, had NO patience with the darling granddaughter (duh, of course, if you don’t ask for it….). So, I pick myself up off the disastered floor from the day before yesterday and move forward and press on.
Toward Patience which is really Love by another name!
Ok, I’m slow.
I get it now.
About time.
Some lessons take a lifetime to learn!
Thanks, Lord! For meeting me where I am.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
1 Corinthians 13:4