Confessions of a Geeky Gal

Ever have a day, that you’d just like to crawl back in bed and pull the covers up, with just enough breathing room, peaking out wishing the day away, or at best START OVER! I had one of those this week. However, it was of my own making. Confession: As I drove to work that particular morning, while praying I sensed the Lord tell me ‘patience’, I was going to NEED patience. Alrighty then, that’s nice! But by golly who in their right mind (or lack thereof) would seek to PRAY for patience. I made note of it and went head first into my day. As the day progressed, I was easily irritated by those around me, even irritated by the time on the clock. I found myself reacting to the WORLD. The hardest was with a loved one, instead of loving beyond, I stood and confronted. NOT good.

Patience. (I KNOW better!) God told me.

Geeky Gal’s notes: In short, there are two words used for patience in the Bible, (N.T.)  both of which I have studied extensively. First, ‘makrothumia’, this patience is with people and motivated by mercy. Mercy, NOT getting what you deserve! In essence, it is extending an open hand, as opposed to a fist full of … stuff! And we got us some STUFF don’t we!  God’s mercy, is withholding what we deserve and loves beyond. Here His grace picks up … giving. One hand pulls back while the other reaches forward and gives. It is a God quality, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” – Gal. 5:22-23 Mercy. The other is ‘hupomone’ patience or perseverance (a bearing up under, in and through) circumstances, this is motivated by hope. Hope, waiting strong with great expectation. It is found in the ‘knowing’. KNOWING that God is, and does and will. Hope.

So mercy and hope. Without these, we fail with people (we humans are terribly inpatient with each other) and our ‘situation’ only seems to worsen when there is no hope. An example of both of these can be found in James, 5:10-11.

“Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience (makrothumia ) in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of  the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance (hupomone)  and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”

I failed at both that day, miserably! Especially when God told me ‘patience’ (I should have known!!! DUH!) I am ‘impatient’ in my current situation. Thinking in the wrong direction caused me to get upset. I am not walking in hope. Making it all worse. I was impatient with others, not granting them mercy, like the mercy I want granted to me. I had to approach my loved one and ask for their forgiveness for how I reacted to them. I again asked God to re-focus my perspective on some details in my current situation, turn me towards Him and Him alone. THERE lies my hope, my perseverance.

Patience, not something favorably to pray about, but a quality I desire and long to walk in. How is your extended mercy and hope? Rhetorical, now ponder.

“For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” – Heb.10:36   As the picture above depicts, patience can be like being STUCK behind a slow moving boring rig. Don’t honk your spiritual horns, or attempt to pass on dangerous ground. Wait. Go the journey. Hope on…. a promise awaits YOU!

In Him, DeDe (“Let us consider how we may spur one another one towards love & good deeds.” – Heb.10:24)