Getting better at anything…. ugh, it’s not easy, right?
It’s not easy, but it is simple. Jon Acuff
If you chose One Word for the year (or if you have any goal ever at all) this is for you.
If you want your kids to be better swimmers, you get them in the water, right?
If you want your kids to learn to read, you read with them, right?
If you want them to get better at social interaction maybe you take them to a party and coach them.
God, as our heavenly parent allows us to be put in situations that stretch the muscles that need stretching so they get stronger.
Have you experienced this?
My One Word is “Fruit”, and specifically the fruit of the Spirit that is PATIENCE! Even the way I write that word says how I feel about it. Lord have mercy!
Perhaps because this is my word, the Lord seems to keep putting me in situations where I need to WAIT. Where I need PATIENCE. And He says, “Just do it.”
I had an important note I wanted to mail. I was a hard note, a risky note. I knelt to pray before I sent it. As I prayed about it, I heard “Wait.”
“Why?!” I asked. I racked my brain and couldn’t think of a possible reason why I should wait. Maybe it wasn’t really God speaking to me, but on the off-chance that it was, I figured I’d better obey. It required patience and discipline to wait, which may have been God’s strategy all along, but it was sooooo hard! The next day I reread the note and noticed something I hadn’t before – one line that sounded a little passive-aggressive. Ugh. Ok, Lord, score one for “wait”.
In general, my husband and I are in a season of transition which does NOT suit my personality well – perfect for someone who needs to learn patience, amiright? I’m a “J” on the Meyers Briggs inventory which means I want to make a PLAN! I want to DO something! I want to to FIGURE IT OUT AND MOVE ON!” Recently I was waiting for my family to meet me for dinner while in D.C. and decided to do a prayer walk, asking God for a vision for a post-transition future. And again, I heard that stupid word from Him, “Wait.”
So my suggestion for a One Word challenge for October is to look at your life and notice where God has been allowing you to be put in situations where your One Word muscles are stretched. Talk to Him about those situations. As always, I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments. If you receive this in email, just click on the title and it will take you to the website where you can post a comment. Don’t worry if your comment doesn’t appear immediately – the first couple of times you post I have to ok them.
I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord (Psalm 27:13-14).
Oh how I can relate, Laura, to the difficulty of waiting! Being a “J” also, patience is not my strong suit!! I am working on patience in the midst of me wanting to make a plan. God continues to show me that His plans are the best for me and He’s got this! I just now need to work on always trusting God in all aspects of my life and letting go of control.
Cheering you on!!
Laura,
I find your message to mirror my circumstances as I will transition from a busy work life to retirement early next year. Waiting to know the timing is best for my husband and I is extremely challenging. Leaving my profession is wrenching as I still love the doing and serving. Well-intentioned friends and family do not understand my hesitation. Praying for guidance and resolution
I get it! Change, even good change we know God is calling us to is hard! And waiting for the “what’s next?” Argh! Praying for discernment for you now.