The Virtue of Patience

i am not sure what is harder to do... to wait for the light to turn green or waiting for the phone to ring when you are in high school or waiting for the cake to finish or for the mail to come on Saturday or for a baby to walk or for football season to start or even for the first frost of the fall... each are times when we want instant gratification... i think our culture's desire for the quick fix makes it hard for us to wait for anything...

the wise one Solomon tells us that to be patient is better than to be prideful... the apostle Paul encourages us to be patient as well, but the waiting is hard... the ache of losing a loved one does not pass quickly... to walk through the pain of suffering is a challenge... i want it to be over quickly... i want to move on with my life & marriage...
to wait for the birth of child is a challenge... patience is hard when you long for a child... to want something and not be able to have it in our time is another lesson in the divine art patience... for God is the most patient... WoW! How can he be so patient with His creation- but thanks be to God for willingness to be patient with us all...

God is teaching me patience... patience is fierce and is the battle cry of the redeemed...
healing is out of my hands. i think that all i can do is put my life in the hands of the Lord and the grace of our Creator to mold at this time in ways that only He can...
i long for the day of peace to reside again in my soul... to feel the cool breeze of the Spirit flowing in me...
i read an interesting line the other day..."I am not a Christian yet, but I have seen them". now i am a Christian, but i must say that i am not where i need to be or where i want to be yet, but i am on my way...
by His grace go i...

More Rumblings

It has been raining on and off today. I generally like the rain. I seem to like it more when the temperature is down a bit... say around the mid 40's. But today it has been kind of muggy so every thing feels soggy. This is kind of how I feel at times. I saw a friend in his 70's walking with his wife just the other day and made me think about how Dad walked with mom to the pond to fee the fish or to see the garden. It was the first time I had cried sense I have been back in Statesboro. I know that it will take time to really move on. I will never stop feeling the loss, but the pain will subside over time. The reality of it all is so permanent. I can hardly believe that this is happening. I wish that it was a dream, but this not a dream. No, we are not insulated from tragedy, pain, and suffering, but God does redeem. Yes, God is redeeming. I believe that God does His greatest work during times of great pain.
1 Peter 5:10 speaks of suffering for a little while... suffering for the believer is never the final word. I love that God will restore us in time. I believe that he can and does restore now, but at the end of time all things will be set right... RESTORED. I long for this. Scripture says that creation longs for this. This will be a glorious day.
Until later... keep the Faith... pursue Peace... and Love without reservation!

Rumblings

The past two weeks have been a blurr. Two weeks ago today, my dad had stroke and massive brain hemorrhage that ultimately took his life. I have had so many thoughts and so many emotions over the past week. Dad was healthy and active right up until his death. It is so crazy to consider him being gone, but the reality is continuing to set in. I still want to call him when something neat happens in the ministry. I know that I will want to call him during the MLB playoffs...as the Red Sox go deep. We loved to talk about sports and hunting. I saw dad as he loved my mom with an amazing love. He was a pastor for over 45 years and loved to see people embrace Christ. He got to meet Jesus face to face after proclaiming Him for a lifetime. I wonder what that must have been like? I am kind of jealous...
Over the next few posts I will reflect on my father's sudden death, and all that God seems to be speaking into my life. I pray that you will be enriched and strengthened as I speak out my grief and loss.