I am not a patient person. I'm better than I used to be (thank you, children, for all the lessons), but that's not saying much.
Today I'm wondering how in the world my mom sat there and patiently said "no" in a sing-song voice as I asked the same question over and over. And over and over and over. I remember thinking that she was so mean for saying no, like she did it just to spite me. And sometimes I'd go and do the thing she said I couldn't do anyway, and she was patient still.
How did she restrain herself from beating me senseless?
I don't beat my kids, senseless or otherwise. But I still wonder how she did it. I find myself getting annoyed, rolling my eyes, yelling, and finally threatening. I start thinking, "Oh my GOSH! How did you get so disrespectful?! Did you not HEAR me?" And sometimes thoughts like that come out of my mouth, too. This helps no one, of course.
Patience is one of those things that I'm tempted to ask Heavenly Father for, because I know how much I need it, how much it would help me. But then I'm knocked back to reality. "Tamra, that's probably the WORST idea you've ever had! You know that if you ask for it, He'll send you trials to teach you, and you won't like it one bit." So I settle for learning patience very, very slowly. And as years go by, I can look back and see that I've improved.
Still, I think I'm getting to the point where I'm going to do it: I'm going to ask for patience.
Pray for me. Pray that I'll survive.
2 comments:
Patience is a bear. I have to admit, I smiled at the thought that God will give us extra doses of XYZ if we ask for it, and then I remembered the time when Colter was busy as heck at work (well, really, when isn't he?), and suddenly he had a million things to do for people outside of our family. Seriously, constant phone calls, driving people places, just tons of demands on his time from other non-work-related people. I was kind of knocked off my feet when he revealed that he had recently prayed for more charity. Crazy times.
Good luck! I know you'll survive. . .
Yes! Be VERY careful what you pray for because you just might get it!!! I remember praying for patience back when I was a teenager and I've been receiving life lessons in this course ever since. I am more patient... but He's still working on me.
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