Doug's Tidbits: Patience Or Trust?
What is the difference? Where does the fine line stand between them? I often tell the little joke about two vultures sitting on a fence in the desert. One says to the other, "Patience my #$%, I am going to kill something!"
We've probably all experienced this at some point in our life; maybe more than once. It's those times in your job when things aren't going just the way you want them too or those times when you are frustrated with your spouse, your children or your grandchildren. The moment is uncomfortable and we all want the problem or issue to go away so we can go back to being "comfortable" again. What we don't often understand is that God has allowed us to be at that point in time because 1) we shouldn't be there and He wants us to move on, 2) He wants to teach us something, or 3) He wants to use us in this situation.
With my little joke, I don't want to imply that we all have this compulsive desire to go "kill something" but rather that we all tend to have this attitude when we don't get an answer "quickly ." Overcome these times in your live by concentrating on your walk with God. If we concentrate on our "walk with the Lord", the pain that sometimes comes with "patience" or "trust" will be lessened because "trusting" that God will answer our prayer becomes dominate.
We can all have the patience of Job if we know that God has heard our prayers and will answer them. He is "never early" but He is "never late ."
Ginny and I are having an opportunity to be patient this summer as we spend time with our grandchildren. Since they live in Oregon and we don't get to see them very often, having them here 24x7 is certainly a break in our normal routine and it has certainly pushed me "out of my comfort" zone. But God has also quickened my heart to realize that they won't be "children" forever and now is the time to enjoy them; a time to make a mark in their lives. Yes, I still want to "kill them" from time-to-time but I trust in the fact that God will give me the patience "not to."
