There was I time that I would say this: “I’m just not the kind of girl that has oodles of patience.” I can look over some aspects of my family history and see exactly where I have picked up this – shall we say – character trait. Now, having asked God to change me and grow me into someone that is Christlike, this little impatience thing has got to go.

Recognizing that a change is needed and implementing the change are two birds of a different feather. On somedays, I can feel that my flesh is struggling against what it would naturally do and say and what God would have me to do and say. It’s a battle that I’m determined to win --- but it would seem that sometimes I just don’t have the patience to carry it through! See, there’s that patience thing again.

Yesterday was a tough day for me. I really wanted to tell somebody exactly what was on my mind – but the teachings of the Lord were flooding my mind and overtaking my mouth. (Thank God for that!) I had to come to grips yet again with the fact that as a messenger of the Lord, I just can’t say everything that I want to say or do it either. No, I’ve got to be about my Father’s business. That’s a patience thing with me. I can’t exact my own justice. I have to give it to the Lord and let Him handle those folks that are trying to handle me! I do know this – nobody exacts punishment like the Lord. So, I’ve got to go on about my day and wait on the Lord to do whatever He will to the one that is offensive to His kingdom.

That brings me back to patience. When I took a close look at that work, I found the following: “in t peace”. Those letters make up the word patience. And, if I just dazzle it up at little bit, I get, into peace. With patience, we can get into peace. It is the sweet knowing that we can do nothing but trust God. We therefore, should just wait on Him to avenge those that wrong us and have the compassion to love them just the same – much like our Lord continues to love us. And, we have to lay down our own imperfections and allow the Lord to work on us. I am still on the operating table – and the Lord is building my patience spiritual bank account. Yesterday, I had to make a withdrawal, but after a talk with my Father, today, I’m ready to make a deposit. I deposit patience today! When we have patience, we have peace.