Never Ending Patience

Patience. 

I'm telling you. Every year it seems like it getting a more in depth lesson on patience. I wind up thinking I could write a book on it, but really, no. All there is to learn about patience and how we can learn to have it is an endless process. 

We had missionaries from Ireland drop in on Sunday. I really love having missionaries in, because their work is so different from what we do, but still very much the same. One huge difference, though, is that they are often a 100 percent dependent on faith group that depends on support from churches. With that said, they have to do what is called "deputation" - where they go from church to church for a year or two years to raise support to live where God has called them to minister. They can't just up and go to a foreign land and start preaching the gospel, although I'm sure the desire is burning inside of them like crazy. They've got to have patience, wait on The Lord, allow The Lord to use the time of waiting to prepare them, and continue in the work here. 

Yikes. Patience. That's some patience, man. Knowing God has something for you to do, but needing to take real time (not just a few hours or days) to prepare. Having faith God will bring to pass that which He said He would do. 

I just found it fascinating to think about. Sometimes when we know there is something God wants us to do or when we want to do something for Him, we can't just jump in a hasty manner and get down to it. I mean, don't get me wrong, there is definitely a time to get busy and get moving. But sometimes there is the waiting period.

I'm not a big fan of those and well, The Lord knows that. He is using many instances to teach me how to have patience, so that it can have its perfect work.