Round About Answers

Is it just me, or does anyone else notice how God has a major sense of humor? For instance, when I pray for patience and humbleness, God doesn't just magically gift me with those traits; of course not. That would be too easy. Instead, each day He pushes my growth in those two areas a lot. He puts me in situations where it requires great patience. Of course, I always fail the test. I think "I asked for patience, not to be irritated." Now, I don't really believe God is in heaven laughing at me for being frustrated, but I myself must laugh at this ironic pattern.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I not only expect my prayers to be granted, but to be done so in the time I think will be best to receive them. Boy do I have it all wrong. Not only do I get irritated more after I've asked for a patience attitude, I'm impatient to be able to be patient!

Here's what I've learned. God isn't some hocus pocus god in the sky who grants wishes to whomever desires something. I believe in prayer through and through. I believe God always answers, even if it's not the way I wanted. But that's just it. God doesn't always answer how we want. He will always listen, always answer, but He might answer in a different way than we prayed for, or may wait a long time before answering. Again, see how ironic it is when I ask for "patience"?

What I've realized after years of begging Him for patience is, He is working in my heart...slowly, but working all the same. He doesn't want to give me something and me take it for granted. I need to practice it and learn it so much that it becomes a part of me and isn't just some shallow trait about me.

God answers from HIS wisdom, in HIS time.

Patience is definitely something I struggle with. When one of my brothers just keeps going on and on about a subject that I have no interest in, I finally just make myself so irritated that I shew them away. When someone is trying to tell me this amazing or funny story and tries to remember *every* *detail*...it's bad. I get so frustrated. It's not really even the people themselves. It's more the fact that I tell myself I'm not enjoying it. So honestly, I do it to myself. Which, by the way, is even more pathetic. To have no patience with others is bad enough, but to have no patience with oneself...you know it's bad when it comes to that.

I've noticed every single time, without fail, that I get on my knees and pray to God for patience that something happens not minutes afterwards where I am even more impatient and unkind than I was the day before. Satan knows I want God to better me, and he tries everything he can to get me away from that desire. You know what though? Satan has no power over me. God has told me what I need to do and, through Him, I can turn from the temptations of impatience.

Some of you might be saying "you're making way too big a deal about this" but I say, so, SO many bad things come from impatience. Crimes and wrong doings can all come from someone who lacks patience.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, PATIENCE, kindness, goodness, faithfulness..." - Galatians 5:22

"...with all humility and gentleness, with PATIENCE, showing TOLERANCE for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." -Ephesians 4:2

"Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His PERFECT PATIENCE as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life." - 1 Timothy 1:16

"So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and PATIENCE;

God was and IS our perfect example. We are to live our life by what He says. He tells us to have patience.

It is my job, duty...promise...to follow after Christ. I won't always succeed, but isn't that why it's called "grace"?