Hold your horses!

I have a problem. Maybe you have the same problem. Patience. Ugh. Isn't that just a lovely word? I know I've talked about this before, but it's just been on my mind all day today so I figured I should probably share. Obviously, I haven't conquered the problem of patience just yet, but I'm still working on it. So I'm going to guess that there is a big chance that many of you struggle with this problem of patience. You want to know why I guess this?

You get a text and have to respond immediately. You start a task at work and you have to finish it asap. You go to the doctor and you get agitated when they don't call you in at the time of your appointment. You go to McDonald's and you expect to have your food right when you get to the pick up window but the new guy is making your burger so it's taking longer than usual . You are in traffic and want to scream with frustration (maybe you do) because you want to get home immediately. 

I could list more examples of when we do not have patience. Part of it I think is our fault, but I think society also plays a part. Our society is not the waiting type, it's the NOW type. "I want it and I want it NOW!" I don't know about you but I've definitely said that phrase and thought it multiple times. Now that I think about it, I realize how childish it is to be so demanding. There are going to be times when you don't get what you want or you don't get it when you want it. That's just how life is. 

Today I was reading my Bible and it dawned on me that God truly is a God of patience. That might scary to think about, since we aren't patient often. However, it should be a comforting thought. God grows us through patience. Think about Noah and the flood. He had to wait after a year until he could get out of the ark (Can you imagine?!). Abraham also had to be patient. God promised that he would be a father of many nations, but Sarah couldn't get pregnant at the time. Because of Abraham's faithfulness and patience, he waited until he was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 years old to have his son, Isaac. Hebrews 6:15 says, "And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised." Job also was an example of how God blesses people through patience. The book of Job isn't the most joyful book in the Bible (that's my opinion of course) because it tells the story of how God let the devil take everything away from Job, but because Job knew that God had a plan for him, he waited patiently.  In fact, God rewarded him. Job 42:10 says, "After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before."

See, it's clear that patience is important.

 It may not be fun during the waiting period, but in the end it can grow us. 

God is patient with us, so we should be patient with Him. 

He waited for us to open our eyes to His truth, so lets wait for His plan to play out. 

When you start getting impatient, remember that it's in God's time, not yours. He blesses those who wait for His will.

Hebrews 6:12- We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

Galations 6:9- Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

This is the song that came to mind when I was writing this...check it out!

"That's MY story & I'm stickin to it!"

So I made it to church again! 2 Sundays in a row for me and I hope it keeps going! Last Sunday, I blogged about the sermon because I felt that it was great information for us and today is the same. Maybe every Sunday my blog will be my perspective on the sermon I heard that day...hmm "Sunday's Sermon Notes"...I like that.

Anywho, the sermon today was about sharing your story. No, I'm not talking about sharing your funny story about your dog eating your homework or when you spilled spaghetti on your pastor (yes...I've done that...oops!) I'm talking about the story that God has written specifically for you. Did you know that God has written a story for you? He has your complete story on His bookshelf, while all you've read is the current chapter you're in and the previous chapters. I know, I know, all you want to know is how your story ends, trust me, I do too! However, I hate to break it to you, but you can't. No fortune teller or psychic can tell you how your story ends, but God can. That should be encouraging though because remember Jeremiah 29:11? It says, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'" I know I use that verse all the time, but it is full of hope and I think we all need some hope every once in awhile.

You may be thinking, "Why do I need to share my story? Who cares about my life?" Well, God made you for a reason. There is a reason that you are alive today. When we put our faith and trust in God, He turns our bad story into a good story. He wipes sins away. He gives us a new start. When He does these good things in our lives, we should shout it from the rooftops!

Maybe you're thinking now, "Well, my story isn't interesting...I'm an ordinary Joe." I've got news for you, it doesn't have to be interesting! God can use anyone and anything to show people His love, grace, and mercy. He can use any ordinary Joe. In fact, I think maybe He prefers to use ordinary people. Think about it,He used an ordinary man to build an ark that would save them from the flood. He used an ordinary teenage girl to be Jesus' mother. He used Moses even though Moses claimed he wasn't a good speaker. He used the twelve disciples who were uneducated fisherman and other tradesmen. These are just a few examples, but you get the point...God isn't looking for the most educated and skilled people to use, but He is looking for the ordinary too!

So think about your story right now. Think about how God has provided for you, protected you, changed you and so on. If you have trouble thinking about those things, I can for sure tell you one thing...He has kept you alive! Yes, you may have faced some hard times and things may not have gone your way (remember life on Earth can't be perfect), but I know that God has given you something to be thankful for. Pastor Doyle said, "we should all be able to say that even though we may have an ordinary story, it's extraordinary because God's in it." So think about ways and people you can share your story. God can use you when you talk about your life! Someone may be going through what you went through 3 months ago. Use what God has given you and share it with others. I'd love to hear your story!