hurry hurry hurry, wait.

Patience

How much longer can this possibly take? I can see them, they appear to be working but how long does it take to fill a prescription? These are my thoughts as I peer impatiently into the little exterior pharmacy window. The minutes trickle by and I am slowly becoming convinced that they just don’t care how cold I am or how long I have been waiting. Perhaps they are placing bets to see how long I will stand in the freezing cold. After about ten minutes I have decided that I would give them a little piece of my mind, after all I’m the reason they have a job in the first place, right?

 Proverbs 15:18 says, “Hot heads stir up conflict, but patient people calm down strife.” (CEB)

   Patience is certainly an area I could grow in. There seems to be at least one or two instances in a day that just stretch me to my limits. It’s funny what my mind does in these situations. Being inconvenienced can lead to thoughts of ridiculous assumptions toward the other person. This is when I get annoyed. This is when I can react with unkindness.

Ephesians 4:2 says, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient bearing with one another in love.”

   Being patient requires practice. It requires changing the way I think and valuing others more than myself. I know I am most impatient when I am in a hurry or I am late. Since I am responsible for my actions it may be beneficial for me to keep better tabs on my schedule. I also need to understand not everyone thinks or reacts the same way I do and that’s ok. To be patient I need to bear with others in love, being humble and gentle. The word bearing here means “to endure” or “to put up with”; I think that hits the nail right on the head. It may feel like work but showing love towards others through patience is what is most important.

   I finally did get my prescription and I really should be thankful that they took their time to get it right. I also decided not to give that pharmacist a piece of my mind and we ended up chatting about how people are in just too big of a hurry these days. I have to say I was a little ashamed.

   I know this will be something that I will work on for the rest of my life, circumstances and personalities guarantee plenty of opportunities for practice, but I sure wish I would hurry up and get it right.

  

Follow the path and press on.

Woman in the men’s room

Have you ever ended up in places you have no right to be in? When my oldest daughter was very pregnant she was out shopping and had to go to the restroom like pregnant women usually have to do. As she stood washing her hands a man came out of the stall that was next to hers. Her first thought was “Oh this poor man is going to be so embarrassed when he realizes he is in the ladies room!” After staring at each other for one startled moment she finally spoke up and said, “I think you are in the wrong bathroom.” he just looked at her, and answered, “No, you are in the wrong bathroom.” Standing her ground, she told him again of his mistake and he answered by politely opening the bathroom door and pointing to the sign that simply read MEN’S. She was mortified that she shared a bathroom moment with some strange man who was in the stall right next to hers! Fearing that the security cameras caught the whole ordeal and she would be ejected from the store, she ran from the restroom without saying another word. She says that in her defense there were no urinals but I highly doubt that. Secretly I have always wanted to just peek in and prove her wrong but the risk of another embarrassing outcome is too high.

 How many times have I failed to read the warning signs placed directly in front of me? Honestly, most of my troubles are results of my own mistakes. Whether I walk in on purpose or by accident, God’s forgiveness is always there for me. His grace is always available to help me in my time of need. I am so thankful for this grace and mercy that is given so freely, it helps me get past those stupid decisions I make some times.

 Our father is never standing there to beat us over the head but He is standing there, arms wide open saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it.” (Is.30:21)  So as you walk the road of life, keep your eyes focused on the prize God has set before you, choosing right will save you a lot of embarrassment and sorrow. If you happen to find yourself off track, run don’t walk, and get back on track.

Philippians 3:14-16

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Be still and move on.

Be still and Move on.

   What am I going to do? Why did I trust that person? How did I get this far down? How will I ever get out of this situation? Where am I going in life?

   These are questions I'm sure we have all asked at one time or another. Sometimes knowing what to do in a situation feels like trying to unlock the greatest mysteries in life; Who is really on the Shroud of Turin?, What's up with the Bermuda triangle? Is there really a Loch Ness monster? Why is Bigfoot so hard to find? Why does my bread always fall on the peanut butter side when I drop it on the floor?

    Exodus 14:14-15 says " Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." Then the Lord said to Moses, " Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on."

   There's nothing like being in a vast desert and in front of you is a flooded raging river behind you is the Egyptian army ready to kill you and all those you love. Those Israelites sure regretted their decision of following Moses. Little did they realize that they were exactly on the path God wanted them on. They needed to see the hand of God work on their behalf and all they needed to do was stand firm and not be afraid (be still, become silent or deaf to the things around you) It was as easy as that, they didn't have to hide their children or bare up arms. They didn't need to send an advocate to negotiate with Pharaoh and get their old jobs back, they just had to stand firm and watch.  

Verse 19 says, " then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel's army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel."

   The angel of God had been with them the whole time and moved into the perfect position for the rescue. When they saw the river split to give them dry land to walk on I'm sure they were a bit shaken, but the important thing is they obeyed and followed the way of escape God provided for them. 

   What is your Egypt? What are struggling with today? Do you have regrets? Do you have unanswered questions or unsolved problems? Find out what God says about those, stand firm on his word and be still (become deaf to those agonizing accusations of the enemy). 

    I love the part in verse 15 where God says to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on."  Don't look back with regrets saying," If only I had done things differently."  When you cast something on the Lord (1 Peter 5:7), trust that he is able to take care of it. Don't think you can do a better job. What if the Israelites turned to fight or worse, gave up and went back to slavery? Their own plans would have surely destroyed a whole race, thankfully God had a better plan all along just like he has for us. Lord teach me to stand firm and rest in you.

Free speech or speech that is freeing?

Out of the mouth of Babes

   What did you just say?! This question is usually met with big doe eyes and trembling lips as the child scrambles to remember what offensive word just came out of his mouth. Every mother in the history of time has probably asked their child this question at least once. Whether it's a result of that infamous rhyming game, or repeating something they heard from T.V. or a family member, the result is the same, shock and embarrassment. This is usually followed up with a screeching admonishment in a voice thats a whole octave higher than normal, a bar of soap and a lonely stay in your bedroom. (That is if you grew up in my house.) Yes, I can testify that one soap does not taste any better than another and that soapy taste lasts for hours.

   When  I think about my panic over certain "bad" words I wonder why I am not as cautious about the words I speak everyday. Why does it feel uncomfortable to speak positive  or encouraging words? Criticizing and complaining seems to become the accepted norm and negative outlooks cloud my expectations.

   Proverbs 21:23 says, " Watching what you say can save you a lot of trouble." (CEV)

    When I read this verse I think "well that's a no brainer" but putting it into practice is a little harder. We live in a pretty negative world and we are constantly being fed scary and depressing news. Negative speaking is an easy pit to fall into, climbing out of that pit can be a hard and tiresome task. Phrases like "This is killing me," "everything bad always happens to me." and "I'm broke." can send me into a negative spiral. Why is Monday any worse than the other days of the week and don't even get me started on Murphy's Law, he must have been a barrel of laughs to be around.

Psalm 141:3 says, "Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips."

   This is my prayer, some days I pray it more than others, I recognize that I can't do it on my own and a guard or reminder sounds good to me.

It's not that I go around only speaking words of wisdom and quoting scripture but by choosing my topics wisely and using scripture as my guide, I can have a positive conversation that I'm not going to worry about later. Who knows, maybe I made someone else's day better too. 

Get used to it, this is where I belong.

What’s my purpose?

  What's my purpose in this world? Have you ever asked yourself this question? I have asked it many times. I have mulled this over in my mind trying to come up with some amazing answer only to feel a bit disappointed with my lack luster, ordinary life.

   I think we all may feel this way from time to time, not measuring up, constantly in competition to be recognized or appreciated. There always seems to be someone that out performs, out thinks, out wits or out shines us. I used to think if I were born in a different time things might be different, at least I wouldn't feel so inadequate in this micro wave, technological, beauty conscious world. Of course the thought of no makeup, no hair products and having babies at home slaps me right back to the happy present.

Acts 17:26-28 says, “And He made from one, (common origin, one source and one blood) all nations of men to settle on the face of the earth, having definitely determined their allotted periods of time and the fixed boundaries of their habitation. So that they should seek God in the hope that they might feel Him and find Him, although He is not far from each of us. For in Him we live, and move and have our being; as even some of your own poets have said, for we are also His offspring.”

   When I finally accepted the truth that I was made for this time and for the sole purpose of seeking and enjoying him, it made life seem a little easier. It’s not that I don’t look to improve myself or reach higher goals; I just can’t let the world’s standards decide how important I am.

   As I seek him I change for the better. As I change I make a difference in my world by simply touching those around me with his love. Isn't that what we all want anyway, to feel like we are making a difference and are loved?

 

I am sure I could manage this, possibly.

The steel wool affect

I want to be Steel Wool

    Have you ever felt like a weakling or a failure when it comes to communication or confrontation?

I have to admit that I am somewhat of a softy and I have to fight the urge to tuck my tail and run in the opposite direction when I must face opposition.  I have a friend who told me once that I was like a cotton ball; she has even called me cotton a few times. I know that what she was saying about me was not meant to be negative but there is the feeling of inadequacy that comes with being a cotton ball.        When you are soft as cotton, people tend  to not take you serious, you end up doing things you really don't want to and people walk all over you. When you are soft as cotton people also feel like they have to "tippy toe" around you so they don't  hurt your feelings, I hate that!
    On the other hand being known as harsh and unapproachable has its drawbacks too. I would hate to be the one that makes people duck into empty rooms when they see me coming, I have no desire to cause people to feel like they must always be on their guard with me.
    Somewhere in the middle is the answer, Somewhere between cotton and metal scraper is the perfect mix of strength and gentleness, grit and compassion. Somewhere between cotton and metal scraper is the steel wool pad, soft yet strong.

When we read Colossians 3 the instructions are clear; clothe yourself in compassion, kindness, humility and patience. We have to choose to put these on, most times it does not come natural. It takes a little compassion and patience to “bear with” someone, and kindness and humility is definitely involved when it comes to forgiveness.
   I decided I would rather be compared to steel wool; it’s soft yet durable, it’s gentle yet scrubs away the toughest baked on gunk and leaves the pan shining, it’s great at gently sanding away little wood burs and you are left with a beautiful smooth surface.

   Endeavoring to see people as Jesus does really helps. Jesus is always kind and gentle, he always shows us compassion and patience and I am so thankful for that. Using these verses in Colossians as a guide to communication and interaction with others is more than just a good idea, its a template for successful relationships and change.

Colossians 3:12, 13, 17

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And whatever you do whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Pepperspray Expectations

    Expectations and disappointments

   Caution: "May have no affect on those under the influence of drugs or alcohol."

These were the words written in bold print on the instructions of my new pepper spray gun. Wait a minute, weren't these the kind of people that I was protecting myself against? I almost expected the next lines to read, " This device is sold  for the sole purpose of making you feel better and may be affective on affectionate dogs or the occasional fellow walker." 

   Boy was I disappointed! I had hoped when I bought this device that it would empower me to leave  vicious perpetrators, human or animal, incapacitated long enough for this slow runner to make a hasty retreat. 

     We are met with multiple disappointments every day. Whether it was a plan that fell through or someone didn't do what they said they would, when our expectations aren't met we can feel frustrated and lose faith in our values and people.

   

   2 Timothy 3:10,11 " You however know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith,patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings- what kind of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. yet the Lord rescued me from all of them." 

   I wonder if Paul's plan for his life included  lengthy stays at the local prison? I'm sure that during all his schooling and training; preaching to Gentiles, being beaten and thrown in prison was not on his list of things to do. I imagine there were times Paul was disappointed in the outcome of circumstances or the actions of people around him.
Through it all he was able to minister to thousands and bring the love of God and the good news of Jesus to the Gentiles.
 What was Paul's secret? Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do everything through him who gives me the strength."
    In the margin of my Bible I wrote, " Attitude determines altitude." Disappointment is part of life, how we deal with it can be a  sign of maturity and character. I believe Paul's decision to allow God to work in him and others made him approachable and successful in all he did.
 
   Are you wondering what I did with my pepper spray gun? I decided to keep it. It does make me feel  little more confident when I walk alone and it just happens to be one of my favorite colors, cobalt blue.