FoTS - Patience

"Why is this car in front of me going so slow? Don't they know I'm late for work?"

"What? My flight is delayed? This is no way to start a vacation!"

Sound familiar? "Patience is a virtue," they say. It is also a Fruit of The Spirit, and stop #4 in our Fruit of the Spirit Bible study.

It is SO easy to be impatient in today's fast-paced world. Our schedules can get pretty full these days and one delay can throw the whole thing off. What to do? What to do?

Is our lack of patience a sign that we don't have the Holy Spirit in us? It could be. Perhaps it might be time to examine ourselves, and our schedules.

"Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" - 2 Corinthians 13:5

Our patience can be tested when we cram too many things into our day. Can we fully enjoy a conversation with a friend if we are constantly checking our watch because we have somewhere else to go?

Patience has a companion called priorities. They often travel together. As an example, a family might be at a weekend soccer match, but games are running behind. Evening plans need to be changed. Games get postponed until Sunday morning. Now what? Skip worship?

Patiently waiting on The Lord must be a priority in our lives. If we are not patient, do you think that God will try to TEACH us to be patient? Mhmm.

"But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." - 2 Peter 3:8

Uh-oh. I don't have time to wait THAT long!

"But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." - Romans 8:25

Questions:

1. When was the last time you were impatient? Was it worth it? Describe. 
2. When you are impatient, what other emotions come along for the ride?
3. What do you do while you are waiting for God to answer your prayer?
4. Why is God so patient with us, even in our impatience?
5. How can I exhibit patience while others don't?

Waiting Impatiently

My bride was in Colorado this past week. While she was away I learned a few things about myself.

First, it was a lot quieter. Lol! The television didn't get used to much. No football games, no home fix-it shows.  Silence. That was a good thing.

There was also no one to talk to. That can be both good and bad. It was a whole lot quieter but there was also no one to talk to when I really wanted to talk. That was sad. Thank God for friends!

The next thing I noticed was I slept really well. I'm not complained or anything. Just making an observation. I slept like a rock!

But the main thing I noticed was just how much I missed my bride and how much I really didn't like living in an empty house. And the yearning increased the closer it got to the actual time of her arrival.

That's when I thought about Jesus. He's the bride groom you know. I wonder if He misses us.

When it's time for him to come get us, will He be waiting outside the airport like I was yesterday? I don't think so. When it's time, our meeting Him will happen in the twinkling of an eye.

"It will happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed." - 1 Corinthians 15:52

I also heard He was going to meet us in the air. Do we have to check our bag first or do we just jump up into His arms?

"After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." - 1 Thessalonians 4:17

One thing I know for certain, as I sit here waiting at the airport, I can't wait to see my bride. And quite honestly, I can't wait to see Jesus either.

The Blessed Hope

This is the view I have as I write most of my stories - seated at our dining room table. Today I see a sign of hope. Can YOU see it?

There are many signs of spring we can observe. Robins returning to nest, sandhill cranes, red-winged blackbirds, daffodils coming up. But one sign for me is the appearance of our hummingbird feeder.

Too many times I have waited too long to put it up. Then I hear that buzzing of hummingbird wings and I know I have failed my little feathered friends.

One summer I failed so miserably that the hummingbird come to the sport where his feeder normally hung, hovered there for a bit, gave me a disgusting look, and flew off.

This year I am ready. I am hopeful. I don't want to disappoint. And I won't because the feeder is hung in anticipation of an arrival long waited for.

Oh, my precious Lord, Jesus. How we long for Your return as well. The signs are all around us that the time is near. We need to be ready because it will happen in an instant - the twinkling of an eye. And then, for those who are NOT ready, it will be too late.

When I was a child, staying with my grandpa and grandma, I remembering watching out the window towards the two-mile corner for my mom and dad's car. It was night time so I would watch the headlights of the oncoming cars, hoping they would turn into the driveway. Many didn't but I KNEW that soon one set of lights would slow and turn and I would be off running to greet them.

I wait every day. I pray every day. My thoughts and hopes turn skyward. And I am longing for His glorious light to appear. Our blessed hope.

"For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." - Titus 2:11-14

Waiting . . .

Impatience

My wife tells me that I am a very patient person. I'm not sure if she is speaking sarcastically or telling the truth. Anyone who has ever seen me waiting for my wife to finish shopping KNOWS how impatient I can be.

On a whole, we humans are a very impatient lot. Especially these days with microwave ovens, "smart" phones and on-line shopping. We have text messaging, Facebook messaging and instant messaging. Where once there was but one drive up lane at our favorite FAST food restaurant, we now have two. Don't want to have anyone wait tooo long, we might get upset.

In my past life as a secular human I was pretty impatient as well. I had my share of road rage incidents. People in front of me driving too slowly, other drivers making stupid mistakes. I was always exceeding the speed limit, always looking for the shortest line at the grocery store, always trying get out of work ASAP so I could get home and do what I wanted to do.

Shortly after becoming a Christian I was talking with my best friend about prayer and what to pray for. I told her I was going to pray for patience.

"Oh, don't do that!"

"What? Why not?"

"Because if you pray for patience, God will give you something to be patient for."

"So? Isn't that what I am supposed to do? Pray for things I need to improve on?"

"Patience will come to you all on it's own in time. You can't rush it. It's an . . . acquired skill."

Great.

Patient people are hard to find these days. Were people any more patient in the Bible? What advice does the Bible give us? Let's see.

Hey here's a verse for me!

"Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly." - Proverbs 14:29

And another!

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes." - Psalm 37:7

God really talks a lot about patience. I wonder why that is? (Sarcasm)

One more. This one is REALLY good!

"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." - 2 Peter 3:9

God is VERY patient with us. Shouldn't we also be patient with other people is OUR lives? Shouldn't we be patient . . . with God?

The next time someone says something that makes us mad, we need to hold our tongue. Be patient rather than responding quickly and saying something we will surely regret later. When someone posts something on Facebook that we disagree with, we shouldn't respond right away. We need to think about what we are going to write. There maybe a reason that person wrote what they did. There also might be a disagreement waiting for us if we respond rashly. A trap, set and waiting for us.

Whatever we say, make need to make sure we are right, then, when words are necessary, use scripture! Let God do the talking! We need to be patient with our own words. We should use the Word of God in a loving, compassionate way, and always in context. Speak the truth.

Patience is something developed over time. Increased patience ALWAYS comes with scars. Be prepared to wait at ALL times. Never get flustered or angry when your patience is tried. Or you will keep learning the same difficult lesson over and over again.

A Story About Patience

Waiting

[This is part three of a multi-part story about my dad and the battle he is undergoing - against Alzheimer's and against pneumonia. It is also a story of how God provides for us in our time of need in oh, SO many ways. I dedicate these blogs to both my mom and my dad . . . and to my amazing sister. And also to anyone out there who has lost, or is loosing, a loved one]

There is something unique that waiting can bring. Often, it is anticipation. If we are looking forward to something, waiting stands in the way of what we have now and what we are waiting for in the future.

However, there are some things we find ourselves waiting for that we would just as soon have never arrive. The pending death of a loved one is one of those things.

For the past four days my family has all been together, taking turns by my father's bedside - holding his hands, adjusting his hospital gown and sheets, trying to keep him as comfortable as possible. But something unexpected is happening. I noticed something else going on while we are waiting. We are becoming a family again.

Yes, it is true that we have ALWAYS been a family, but us Hall's have gone our separate ways through the years. My brother lives in California, my wife and I live in Wisconsin and my sister, mom and dad all live in Michigan. And although we always get together for a family reunion each year, we seldom have time to just sit and talk. In my dad's illness a silver lining has appeared. An opportunity to spend some much needed time with one another.

It is a sad thing to wait for a loved one to die. There are times when it seems as if the clock is ticking ever so slowly. Then, during those special family moments, the hands on the clock seem to be in high gear and the minutes and hours just fly by.

We have all had our time talking alone with dad, sitting with him and trying to understand the words he is saying. Most of his speech is unintelligible mumbles but once in a while he will say something that is wonderfully clear and understandable. Often those are the times he says something funny. That is so like my dad.

For example, I was telling a fishing story one night about how my dad had taught me to fly fish. I was describing how he had once told me to cast towards a particular brook that was bubbling into the stream up ahead and how suddenly there was a nice trout on the line. My dad held up two fingers indicating the length of my fish as being about 3" Funny guy, my dad. We all had a good laugh.

And the side conversations we had with other family members were priceless as well. The long periods of waiting almost forced us to talk with one another. That was very therapeutic and a blessing from God.

But the thing that waiting allowed me to do the most of these past few days was to stare for hours at my father's face. Stare at his ever-changing expressions - every raised eyebrow, every twitch of a lip. Trying to fill up my "dad gas tank" now because it's a long way to the next filling station.

I would encourage you this morning to spend time with those you love. Tell them you love them. Don't be afraid to give a friend a hug or a kiss on the cheek. You will never regret it. Saying goodbye should never be about regrets. Saying goodbye should be all about love.

Never wait to tell someone you love them.

Never.

"For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?  But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.  In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.  And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." - Romans 8:24-30