Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Love and Gentleness

Ephesians 4:2

English Standard Version (ESV)
2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

This verse was in my inbox this morning.  Perfect!  I've been feeling very discouraged lately.  Beat down.  Lonely.  I don't feel like I'm getting enough curriculum completed in homeschooling.  There are ways that God is growing the faith of my husband and I in painful ways that we would rather jump over and skip, but we are pressing on.  God is driving me towards holiness and being deep in His Word, which in itself is crazy intense.  The 'world' doesn't understand this passion, therefore I look like a freak.

I was able to spend an hour and a half yesterday, alone.  It was a great time of fellowship with the Lord while I hung out in the lab at the hospital doing my glucose screening.  I cried out to Him and begged Him to make some situations in life better.  To fix them, to make them go away!  God isn't in the practice of making our lives easy.  Oh how I wish He was!  However, He is in the practice of making us holy.  Driving us to become more like Christ.  It was in early August, a few months ago, when I apparently prayed for patience.  God began teaching 'staying put'.  Sticking it out, not throwing in the towel when it gets hard.  You can fill in your own "it", my "it" applies to multiple areas.  I've been slowly learning this tough lesson for a fix-it and move on girl.  Sometimes we just have to sit in the pain, in the small area between the rocks, and let the Lord refine us by the fire (1 Peter 1:7).

This verse was a sweet reminder of how I treat others even when things are rough.  It was a sweet reminder of how to parent my children when they are running around my house with a ton of pent up energy or when we are trying to get through a lesson. 

Heavenly Father, help me to stay put.  To allow growth in my heart to become more like you, even when it hurts.  Help me to keep showing love and gentleness even when it is hard.  This I can only do with your help, Lord.  Amen.

1 comment:

Sues said...

This is so honest & beautiful. <3