The Impatient Child

I do believe that we are all the impatient child all through life. Oh yes I can hear you now. "Who me I have the patience of a Saint!". But as life spins faster and faster it also gives us more opportunities to be disappointed. Today I received and email from a friend and one of the statements she made was a simple statement many of us have said in passing many a time. It falls in the category of " I think I am going to have a nervous break down" or "I swear I am going through a mid-life crisis" and so you know how these statements fall off our lips. Usually when we have way too much on our plates. Many times when these feelings overtake us we really think we are doing everything right, don't we? I mean boy we are helping everyone in our life who needs help and even those who maybe really don't! We are there for everyone and doing everything. We are praying and praying some more. It seems nothing is working so yes we pray some more! We help some more. We even cry some more. Does this sound like the model of patience to you? Sometimes when we know we are doing good for others we are stamping our feet and having that impatient temper tantrum internally. I know I have certainly been there more than enough times and even if you don't want to admit it, so have you. All this time however there is one simple thing we are forgetting. One task that really is so simplistic in its execution that we want to slap our heads in a V-8 moment for not having already tried it. STOP! Be still and hear the voice of the Lord. The Lord doesn't shout over my noise. He waits patiently until I am quiet. Much like a child's temper tantrum. I could step in and try to rationalize with a kicking screaming child but really anything I try is bound to fall on deaf ears. How can the Lord give us any answers and calm us if we are too frantic to hear him? I hope that each one of us can remember to be still in our lives long enough to listen to what is without adding to it.