Patience - In the Moment!

Ever feel like this??? I was looking for the perfect picture for PATIENCE and instead of all the cute sayings.........I found this. The funny thing about this picture is that we once had a Golden Retriever, AJ. Marvin actually would teach AJ to do this and he did. When the time was up, AJ would move his head, flip the biscuit back and catch it in his mouth. AJ had patience to wait for the reward that was inevitably right before his eyes. :)

Now about us, or rather about me and you can relate to this. I am not........patient. (I hear a resounding amen from my husband, family and friends.) But, I am learning to be.

Heb 6:10-12 11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. NKJV


Patience, in the wilderness, is something that is essentially learned and imparted into our lives by a wonderful Savior who has all the time in His hands. He is in no hurry and can wait to see that all is accomplished in our lives. We are simply to submit and allow Him to work this in and through our lives. Yet, it is not that easy. Trust me.


Patience is linked to God's timing and the two become worked together as one. God has a timing and patience is required to move in the reality of that timing, not to go ahead or lag behind. It is the perfect scenario of working and walking alongside your Lord. Patience to simply focus on the moment and not think ahead or behind but to trust Him. He is the Master and you are the child. Kind of like the dog up there...............a good Master trains for a purpose and does not withold but gives at the right moment under the right circumstances.


In the wilderness, you should learn to be IN THE MOMENT. Too much hindsight or foresight will drive you crazy because, let's face it, the scenery doesn't change too much. Hot, dry, uncomfortable. :) The moment requires faith and patience to look at only Him and to disregard your peripheral vision, no matter how much it actually calls to you from across the fence or beyond the borders. You must silence all the what ifs, the maybes and all that talk talk talk. Quiet down in the moment and trust.


Looking to the past brings a wide array of fears that somehow or someway you have been disqualified or missing it. Looking to the future will only cause you to miss the journey and actually folks...........God is concerned about the journey and what it is doing in you. Enjoy the journey! I would hear that often while in this place. I hated it. Why? Because I was impatient. Hmmmmmmmm need I say more? Yes. :)


God desires a people finely tuned to His movements - moving when He says to move, being still when He says to be still. The moment focuses on Him and Him alone. Patiences eliminates unnecessary distractions which try to pull you out of the moment. Patience to simply focus, wait and trust that God will do what He says He will do. Again, easier said than done. But hey, I get to write this from my experiences. And to think it only took me 56 years to get to this point. Would have liked to encounter this at 30 but God chose this point in my life so I say "Bring it on Lord. More more more."


Look at this verse. This is an ouch verse when you are focused on what everyone else is doing and all you want is to hear God say "Poor baby. I will release you right now because you asked for it." Nope, instead He says this to our impetulance and anxiety.


John 21:20-22 Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?" 21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?" 22 Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me." NKJV


All around there is movement. I envied that for it seemed that I was standing still. But in hindsight once again, I was not. I was actually moving - at His speed, not mind. That required patience.

Let me give an example again. I had such a desire for ministry. I wanted to see this ministry move forward and the indication of this would simply show me how much God loved me and poured out His favor on my life. But it did not happen that way. Instead of moving forth, the promise which was deep inside of me, brought me miles away from my destiny. Happens to a lot of us right? Anyway, this desire to prove myself brought me into such a fleshly desire to have this ministry that my vision was distorted, anger set in, frustration, worry, fear and a whole range of emotions. Ministy defined my life because I had nothing else at that moment. I felt that I had given up so much to follow Him and here I was - without anything in the middle of nowhere. I could not get past the tensionan in me that brought me fear of missing it all. And when I saw others around me moving, that fear intensified. That was the problem........I was looking around me and not at Him. I know that now. I did not know that then.

So what is the deal? Here I sit in Abu Dhabi waiting to leave on Monday to head back to California. I am a bit more patient ( and I say a bit) but a lot wiser. I have allowed the Lord to tame me and yet there still is a sanctified restlessness in me that wants more and yearns for more for my life. I think He likes that a lot........and I can see Him smiling.