Tangled Hangers

Patience. At times a hurry up and wait mindset. When the hurry isn’t an instant thing, then anger becomes our response. GOOD patience is a God quality, Paul lumps it in with love, joy, peace, patience…and self-control. (See Galatians 5:22-23).   My husband and I together, have worked through the devotional book, “Praying the Attributes of God” by Ann Spangler and I mean ‘WORK’ through. One does not merely read when you open your heart and mind to transformation. The chapter on patience, looking at God’s patience with us. OH-MY-GOODNESS! God makes declaration of Himself: “The Lord, the Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.” (Exodus 34:6).   In short, God does not grow frustrated with us like we do with others, things, circumstances or … ourselves. Patience is being long of feeling, delaying one’s anger.

Impatient trigger points, what is it for you? Long lines at the gas station or 23 items in the gals cart ahead of you at the grocery store when the sign clearly reads only ‘15’? For me, it is tangled hangers – NOTHING makes me more instantly frustrated than when I reach for one, ONE, and they tangle, and others come tumbling out and fall to the floor. Instant ‘hurry up and get it the way I WANT IT’ – mad woman moment! The imagery in life is the same – we are SO busy, our mind so full, that when we reach for one thing, the thing needed or wanted, it potentially all comes tumbling down. What is the first step to de-tangle my hangers and decrease my instant anger? CLEAN OUT THE CLOSET! (I know, DUH!) The same is true with our lives, clean out, get rid of, grow pass all the stuff, so when we (or God) reaches for something… there isn’t a tumbled mess at our feet.

“Thank you, God, for being so very patient with us, willing to allow us to grow and learn. We invite You to work YOUR precious attribute of patience, full of mercy and slow to anger in us. May we this week, sense You as we clean out the stuff, making life easier and not so cluttered, reducing our frustration. De-tangling for Your glory! In the powerful name of Jesus. Amen”

De-tangling the tangled hangers. Pursuing God patience.

In Him, DeDe (“Let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love & good deeds.” – Hebrews 10:2