Give Me Patience - NOW

I am afraid that most of us pray this way.  We want God to give us what we want, when we want it, and PRONTO.  That's not the way it works.

We wouldn't ask a person that rudely so why don't we use our best manners when it comes to the Creator, the Master of the Universe, and our King Forever?  I don't have the answer but I know that I am guilty and I suspect you are too.

Humility, patience, longsuffering. . . these are not traits that we like to hear about much less practice.  Ah but we must for our Lord practiced all of these and more.   Maybe that's why some of the pious Jews in Jesus' time put scriptures on their bodies to remind them.  Be patience.  Be loving.  Be kind.  Be available.  Be humble.  Be longsuffering.

And in our case. . . Be Christlike.

Barriers to Love

When I started writing 13 Decisions that will Change Your Life, I hadn't considered how many barriers there were to unconditional love.  As it turns out, there are many.  More seem to rear their heads every day.

Love is curtailed by distrust or mistrust.  We've all experienced betrayal and the bitterness it leaves.  Love is unable to live in an atmosphere of unforgiveness.  Roots of  malice burrow into our lives and take years of diligence to get rid of.

Love closely related to joy and a zest for living.  Neither is possible if a scimitar is poised over our head.  Purging grudges, putting away hard feelings, and defusing feuds unbars the road to love.  Unfortunately cleared pathways don't always stay clear, so this demolition must be a constant chore.   Don't put off your spring cleaning so love can blossom. 

Be Generous

People love to get stuff, especially free stuff.  Americans are famous for their big cars, big houses, big food portions, big everything.  But I wonder if that is true of our hearts.  We tend to be generous with everything but ourselves.  I am putting myself on the hook too.  It is easier to be generous with a few dollars than with myself or my time.  Chapter 6 of 13 Decisions That Will Change Your Life introduces some folks you don't know but their generosity will inspire your life.

Anger and Guilt

Ever let someone push you over the edge?  So much that your anger flairs?  The old saying, "He who angers you conquers you" is true.  Once your self control goes, then it is only a short hop to saying and doing regrettable things.

And no amount of apologies erase words say in haste and in the heat of the moment.  "I'm sorry" no matter how heartfelt never eradicates the memory and the nagging feeling that in the backlash, there just might be a grain of truth.

And there you have the decision cycle that changes your life and invites GUILT into your heart.  Resist the urge to take the easy route.  Rise above criticism and failure.  You have a higher calling.

Satan's Toolbox

Everyone has a resource they pull from.  Writers read voraciously and persuade, create worlds, motivate, or make us laugh.  Carpenters use their hammers, planes, and blueprints to fashion cathedrals. 

Satan is like that.  But he isn't clever enough to use innovative methods.  Instead he digs into our conscious and subconscious minds, invades our dreams, and finds enough emotional baggage to be a guilt trip agent.

Don't fall for it.  Let your toolbox be filled with love, peace, and joy.

Use Your Abilities

A double amputee wrote, "You're not disabled by the disabilities you have, you are able by the abilities you have."  A great attitude from a great athlete.

Oscar Pistorious is the fastest man with NO legs.  His awards would fill a room.  He is only one example of patience and perseverance.  He decided that his disability would not define him. 

As the motto of paraolympics asks, "What's your excuse?"

I Want to Be Patient NOW

In the instant society where we live, work, and play, patience has become an antique virtue.  We nuke our food, speed to our appointments, demand faster cable and internet (guilty of all).  Perhaps the only thing we can't speed up is childbirth and C-sections are helping with that.

When it comes to the world of writing, patience and its companion, perseverance, is the only thing that will keep you sane.  David Sarnoff said, The will to persevere is often the difference between failure and success.