Patience is HANGING LOOSE

Day 295 of Photo Inspirations -- Patience is HANGING LOOSE!
This photo inspiration is from my trip to Hawaii and everywhere I went they were using the hand gesture that means "Hang Loose".  It is so refreshing to see how relaxed they are there.  So many of us here on the mainland are in such a hurry to get from Point A to Point B that we don't even notice the beauty of the day.  We're in such a rush to get to our next appointment that we don't stop to thank a store clerk for their service or to ask someone how their day is going. It's time for us to SLOW DOWN and BREATHE.  I know that the fast-paced lives we live keeps us feeling like we need to rush here and there. So why is it such a work-out to have patience?

First of all, patience goes against our human nature.  When a baby wakes up in the middle of the night and is  hungry, he doesn't lie there and think, "I know mommy and daddy are tired, so I'll just wait until a more convenient time to let them know that I'm hungry."  NO! That baby cries impatienty and contiues to cry until he receives the attention he demands.  

Secondly, we have the weeds of pride, selfishness and anger that can easily choke out the quality of patience.  And it's revealed when the cable TV goes out again or there's long lines at the grocery store.  Were you ever the one that honked at a guy at a traffic light whose car had stalled and he was frantically trying to get it started?  And the chorus of honking horns made matters even worse for him.

Thirdly, patience is contrary to our culture, and that's what I meant in my opening paragraph.  We don't live in a relaxed culture.  Having had the opportunity to travel to third world countries, I know they have very different lifestyles.  They're more laid back.  They think, "Whatever happens, happens.  It'll be all right."  They have the "Don't worry. Be happy" mindset.  And they wonder why we're so uptight.  It's because we're on a fast track.  The more conveniences we have, it seems we become even more impatient.  We're in a world of high tech and fastest is best when it comes to appliances, electronics, cars, traveling, AND cooking.  

But God wants us to grow the quality of patience.  It comes with the Fruit of the Spirit -- so if God lives in us, we already have it inside of us.  What a more beautiful, peaceful, comfortable, relaxed life we can have when PATIENCE becomes a "must have".  Being patient is evidence of our trust and faith in our Heavenly Father.

James 1:4 "......for when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete."

Matthew 7:16 "You will know them by their fruit"

I pray today for patience for you and I – in small situations at work, at home, on the road – and for patience in the bigger circumstances that surround us. In your waiting and seeking, may God's peace and courage fill you with hope.......AND patience!

A True Romance is Going On

Day 269 of Photo Inspirations -- A True Romance is Going On
So I've known romance.  My husband was the truest romantic EVER.  He loved candlelight, love songs, little "I love you" notes, surprise date locations, slow dancing, surprise gifts, and though I knew I wasn't the most beautiful girl in the world, he made me feel like I was.

I'm studying and preparing for a Bible Study I'll be leading, starting next Monday, the 5th.  God led me to the study of  "Knowing Them By Their Fruit" and "The Fruit of the Spirit".  The Fruit of the Spirit's qualities are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  I believe the foundational quality of them all is LOVE.  After all, GOD IS LOVE, and He embodies all of those qualities.  That's why we pray...."Make me more like YOU!"

“And now abide these three: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love.”  1 Corinthians 13:13

Yes, my Sweetheart was a true romantic.  But the love talked about in this verse is the truest of true romantic loves.  The love of God -- THE purest love.   Completely selfless, immensely sacrificial, unstoppable, a burning and unquenchable passion, a jealous and unchanging love.  This makes it the strongest possible kind.  And one that is so incomparable.  It can’t be bought, it is only given.  It is never manipulated, but given with grace.  And it can never, ever be broken.  The truth is, not even death can contain, limit or abolish this awesome love of God.

And here's some really good news that those of us may miss or be longing for -- our relationship with God is a romance.  And a greater romance has never been told.  It’s a romance that is eternal, not like the world’s.  It’s a romance that is infinite.  It was being formed before the universe was spoken into existence.   That same love is the one, the same power that sustained Christ when He gave up His last breath on the cross to save a heartless and undeserving world.  And THAT love is woven and knit into each of His children.  He is constantly wooing us and romancing us through blessings that He continually pours out on our lives.  When no human stands with us through a storm, He is always there.  When we experience heartache and pain, He remains faithful.  This love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.  Our romantic God shows us us what TRUE LOVE and TRUE romance is all about!

Here is how our romantic God shows what TRUE LOVE is:
Love is patient. Love is kind.  Love is not jealous. Love is not boastful.  Love is not rude.  Love is selfless.  Love forgives and forgets.  Love rejoices in the truth. Love never fails.