Patience. The Lord is growing me in so many ways right now and today all signs point to patience. Literally, as I am writing this my son spilled a full glass of chocolate milk all over the table and floor, and I realized I was out of paper towels. Please Lord, I need patience! From marriage, to parenting, to leadership, to work, all facets of my life require patience. I worked yesterday and realized that I have the ability to be very patient. I am patient with my...patients. I am patient with my coworkers. So why does it change when I come home? I feel the need to be kind, patient, etc. with strangers, but they mean nothing to me. My family means everything to me, shouldn't I show them the traits I show to strangers? The answer is yes. So how am I going to put it into practice? Last night the Lord should me some interesting things. We started day one of "The Love Dare" and, wouldn't you know it, the topic is "Love is Patient." Some quotes I liked from the book are the following:
"Love is built on two pillars that best define what it is. Those pillars are patience and kindness. All other characteristics of love are extensions of these two attributes."
"Love will inspire you to become a patient person. When you choose to be patient (*remember we are choosing this*), you respind in a positive way to a negative situation. You are slow to anger. You choose to have a long fuse instead of a quick temper...Patience brings an internal calm during an external storm."
"...patience stops problems in their tracks. It is more than biting your lip, more than clapping a hand over your mouth, patience is a deep breath. It clears the air. It stops foolishness from whipping its scorpion tail all over the room. It is a choice to control your emotions rather than allowing your emotions to control you."
"As sure as a lack of patience will turn your home into a war zone, the practice of patience will foster peace and quiet."
"Patience helps you give your spouse permission to be human. It understands that everyone fails. When a mistake is made, it chooses to give them more time then they deserve to correct it."
These quotes are so real and inspiring. I will be putting in my full effort to being patient. My verse for meditation today will be Proverbs 15:18 "A hot tempered man stirs up strife, but the slow to anger calms a dispute." With all of the fruits of the Spirit being intertwined, being off on one negatively affects the others. So with patience, comes many beautiful things, and I want to see them alive in my home.
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