Verse of the Day - Proverbs 16:32

Patience is better than strength. Controlling your temper is better than capturing a city.
~ Proverbs 16:32 (NCV)

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Don't people with real patience just stand out in a crowd? I know a few people who I would consider highly patient, and their calmness to endure endless silly questions ("Why is that thingy always going 'doink-doink' when I push this do-hickee?") or their ability to wade through lengthy instructions ("After installing the hardware in diagrams 1,2,5,6,14,27 and 92, balance this instruction manual on your head and jump up and down three times while rubbing your stomach and singing 'Jingle Bells'...") amazes me.

Most people learn patience over time, but some are gifted by God with patience. We need to learn from these gifted ones, because impatience is, I think, one of the most damaging relational traits humanity has. When we lack patience with people, we blow them off and give up -- conversation over! We get frustrated when a person just doesn't understand what we're trying to say, so we say 'forget it', and walk away. Wow -- now there's a relationship killer for ya...

You might be an amazingly gifted athlete or architect, but if you lose patience and your temper with those close to you, you are in a bad way. Your family and friends don't care if you can run the mile in under four seconds when you can't hold a conversation without yelling and cursing at them. While you build tall buildings, your own home crumbles when you storm out of the house at the least irritation. Our connection with people is so much more valuable than trophies and certificates that collect dust. People matter, and impatience and anger tell them they don't.

They say that good things take time. But we've become so efficient-minded and such time-conscious people, wanting to microwave life like a 3-minute bag of popcorn. We forget that we're fallen creatures and that most don't get it right on the first try. Little Jimmy needs 34 reminders to turn off his bedroom light, and co-worker Francine is still trying to remember how to reboot her computer after you showed her 16 times.

God is so patient with us -- He doesn't yell or walk out of the room when we don't get it right. We need to imitate Him. Please give people time to 'get it right'. By God's strength and grace, choose patience in the midst of others' weaknesses . . . because we all have our own weaknesses and others show us patience, too, when we need it.

You may not have trophies and certificates, but if you have patience, you are definitely a standout in a crowd! (To the patient ones, I say 'thank you!' because I know that I, for one, definitely need it ...)

Love,
Joelene