Well, once again I was made plainfully and painfully aware that I lack patience. Sometimes I think I have patience. I do seem to be a patient driver – that counts, right? Well, that’s the only thing that comes to mind where I have acted patiently. Unfortunately, when I decide to do something, I want to do it NOW. Which is ok unless it’s something I need help with. Sometimes I wait for help, when I simply realize after trying that I can’t possibly do it myself. However, yesterday was not one of those days. I was cleaning and rearranging furniture in our guest room. No surprise – I rearrange furniture often. Well, I decided to move a book shelf. I wasn’t sure exactly where I wanted it. Again, no surprise but I’m sure a frustration for those involved when I do need help. I am usually not really sure where I want things until I get them there and take a look. Can anyone relate?  Anyway, back to my story of yesterday. I was just going to move it a couple of inches and see how that would work. So, rather than unload everything, I just pushed. Evidently I was only pushing from the top. I heard something pop and walked to the other end and realized something broke loose. So, I unloaded the shelves. Then I proceeded to push again – this time determined to move it out of the room. Wrong move – another series of sounds let me know that I had made matters worse. Before I was done, I had a couple of boards pulling away from the shelves and had torn a piece off the corner. Now my dilemma got worse. I pulled up on one end and it came loose from the bottom. Now I had a book case that swayed one way and the other. I couldn’t turn it over on its side because the bottom was staying put. YIKES. I hate when that happens. So, I finally got it out into the hallway (still now sure how) and propped up both ends with small furniture pieces so I could finish my rearrangement and cleaning. Realizing that all of this could have/would have been avoided if I had simply waited until my husband got home to help me. But, that would have been a few hours. Who can wait that long? Evidently, not me. Patience Please.

Patience: The capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset:

I have very carefully avoided praying for patience because of that old saying “be careful what you pray for”. But, God can find a way to teach us even when we don’t ask for it. Maybe even more so when we don’t ask for it.

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Now I was praying that I could avoid a lecture from my husband that he would have helped me if I had only waited. You see, I have a track record of this type behavior. When returning from the grocery store I hang as many plastic bags on my arms as I possibly can and still hold my arms up – just to shorten the number of trips so I can get done and move onto something else. Not good habits, not proud of them, but the truth.

Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Well, he was forgiving and I did not receive a lecture. He simply took the furniture apart, carried it to the garage and tore it down to be reused in something else. He was certainly patient with me. Maybe he’s gotten used to it after almost 40 years of marriage – think that’s it? Regardless, it was a lesson learned – again. Hopefully it sticks with me longer this time. By the way, the room looks nice. All’s well that ends well.