Well Said

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience.....

Hmmmm...sad to say that it has been a lean season for patience of late.

I think I am one of the most impatient people I know...hang around me long enough and you'll probably agree.

My latest battles with impatience have been over our house building epic (not quite to lock up yet) and dealing with a toddler who has authority issues (okay...so I am prone to exaggeration, but it does try my patience when Little j does not listen to Mummy.)

Anyway, I have moaned and groaned and whinged and whined and expressed my frustrations to God...to friends....to family...really to anyone who stopped still long enough to listen.

But is was a sweet, smart Godly lady who I have only spoken to a handful of times, who gave me the timely reminder in the middle of Best & Less the other day.

I was venting and saying how God obviously thinks I need more patience and she simply said, "Well anything that helps us become more like Jesus..."

She's right! That's the point, purpose, plan of my life. To become more like Jesus. And you know what, the easy-peasy seasons are not the ones where that happens. It is the seasons where we have to cling to God and rely on Him for wisdom and patience and peace and self-control and love and ......

And so in this season when patience seems to be a virtue I am sadly lacking, I need to remember that the One with bucket loads of it, is wanting to teach me, train me, change me and see me become more like His Son.

Sick

Being sick is nothing like delightful. It's just plain hard.

What's harder is when the one who's sick is your little nearly-10 month old.

Little j has woken up this morning....mega early.....with a runny nose and cough and that look of  generally feeling miserable.

And there's nothing I can do to make him all better...now!

So in the midst of snot and tears and eye rubbing and nose wiping, I think PATIENCE and CUDDLES will be the best medicine.

I can do cuddles, but I struggle with patience. I like things done...NOW! I like things done...MY WAY!

So in this little season of sickness, I will ask God to give me patience. And I love that He answers those prayers.

To me, that's one of the very best things about being a Jesus-follower....He sets the example but He also gives us the power and ability to do like-wise.

So....if today your challenge is not a lack of patience, but a lack of peace or joy or courage or self-control or goodness or.......don't stew on your 'lack' but go to the One who has it all in abundance and ask Him to share.

He'll be delighted to.