Patience

Patience, is that word in our vocabulary? I am totally convinced that we are a fast food society, at least I have figured out in the last few months that I fit that description more than I realized. The red light turns green and we honk the horn at the car in front of us because they are taking too long to take off. We stand in line at the store and get impatient because the clerk has to call for a price check because the customer is arguing that the price tag on the shelf was lower. Or what about the fact that we leave the house late then get caught in traffic, which makes us arrive at our destination later than expected. Lastly and certainly not the least, we pull through the drive thru and get upset because we are asked to pull forward while they prepare our food. So what if it's fresh, we just want it fast.

Patience is a virtue. Lamentations 3:25 says, "the Lord is good to those who wait", so why do we have such a hard time with this. I am trying to figure it out myself. I know in my mind the Lord's timing is everything yet I honk, get agitated, and drive off in frustration because it is taken longer than I expected. What is the Lord trying to teach me, why the waiting period? There could be a number of things but we won't know until it comes to an end and the Lord says "ok, now you can proceed." The Lord sees the bigger picture and knows what needs to take place before we walk through the open door. The Lord lets us see through the cracks a little at a time but sometimes it's not enough. We want to see the big picture, unfortunately like Joseph, we are too immature to handle the dream. Through this season I am learning patience. I have not arrived by any means and I have a long way to go but with the Lord's help I will make it. If I fail, I will try again.

It's a process and the Lord loves the process.

From Death to Life

On Sunday, September 12, 2010, my Uncle Fred left this earth and went on to be with the Lord. I always viewed my Uncle to be very strong. He was a big man in stature and had a big voice. I never would have imagined seeing him lying in a hospital bed in MICU, helpless. Someone with such a love for life. He loved people, politics and he had personality. The stroke affected his ability to breathe on his own, something we take for granted so often. Breath - in a matter of seconds it can be gone from us. I didn't think much about myself that day. My thoughts were with my uncle and his family. Sunday was my birthday and as I was celebrating another year of my life, he was fighting for his. We did get to say good-bye before they took him off the ventilator for the final time. I know he is in a better place. A place we as Christians long to be - with Jesus. Although it was a time of grief and sorrow, it brings me joy in knowing that one day I will get to fellowship with him again in Heaven. I love you Uncle Fred, you will be missed.