Don't pray for patience....?

With the holidays upon us, hockey schedules, the daily demands of upkeep in my home and the needs of my children, I'm feeling like I'm spread pretty thin.  That's usually when I get snappy.  I don't like it.  Not one bit.  

Today I ended up on my face asking for forgiveness for something I said in anger by 8:03 am.  I stopped and prayed for patience.  Oh yes, yes I did!  I know, I know you're not 'supposed' to pray for patience.  I've been told that as long as I can remember,  "Don't pray for patience or God will give you something to be patient about!"  Is that true?  I know it feels that way some days.  

If we look at one of the most famous verses in the Bible that mentions patience (Galations 5:22-23) we will see that it is listed as a fruit of the Spirit.  

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

We can see clearly here that patience is a good fruit or gift of the Holy Spirit.  So....shouldn't we ask for it?  I think the trouble we find ourselves in is when we try to bear this good fruit (patience and self control for example) on our own.  When we try to hold it all together or strive for it in our own strength we will eventually fail.  

This morning I wasn't satisfied with my amount of patience, peace or gentleness.  I was upset by how quickly I could go from kind to angry over a child who screamed for juice instead of milk.  I needed an outpouring and filling of the Holy Spirit.  I apologized to the children, went to my room, confessed my inadequacy and utter dependency on the Holy Spirit, requested a filling and outpouring of the fruit of the Spirit.  

And guess what?  I got it.  The rest of the day went so much better than the first hour.  I'm  very thankful that when we blow it we can receive forgiveness and that we don't have to try to do it all perfectly by our own strength.  I'm thankful for the Holy Spirit who is a great Helper indeed!

Don't Fight Your Life Preserver

I took my almost 3 yr old twins in the hot tub recently and an interesting thing unfolded.  It started with me not being able to find my daughter's favorite life vest.  She isn't as good of a swimmer as he is so I put him in floaties and her in brother's life vest.  He hated those floaties.  She happily floated and gloated on her back.  He jumped, flailed, twisted, pulled and spit!  He was so upset at the new floaties on his arms.  He kept tugging and tugging at them.  I calmly explained to him that those floaties allowed him to enjoy the water.  They would keep his head up and nose out of the water so he could breathe.  

He didn't want logic, he wanted them off.

 I let him rip them off for a second and he sank to the bottom of the tub.  I scooped him up, settled him down, and set him back on my lap.  I explained again that the floaties were there to protect him and help him enjoy his swim safely.  This time he listened and started floating on his back and jumping around.  As I watched him struggle off and on with his 'life preservers' I heard it, God's still voice saying,

 "See what I deal with?  I sent them a Savior and yet they still fight me!" 

When my son would quit fighting the floaties he enjoyed the water.  He even forgot they were on his arms at times.  When he focused on them, he wanted to be free of the constrant and he was miserable.  When he was free of them he sank to the bottom unprotected.  

So my question is this, are you fighting your Savior or walking in freedom?  Do the 'rules' of our faith have you focusing on the other side of the fence thinking the grass just might be greener?

Let's stop fighting God and start trusting Him more.  

Psalm 119:93, "I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life."

Luke 17:33, "Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it."