Patience part 4
In order to use the patience that we have--love is patient, and we have love because we are love, so we have patience. It's not something we need, it's something we have--we must learn to see past right this minute. I know there's a lot to be said about "living in the moment." Fully experiencing what's happening in the here and now. I'm not trying to take anything away from that. I'm simply saying that there is a bigger picture. God's grand scheme. And He declares the end from the beginning. He knows not only what's best for us, but how best for us to get there. The problem is that we oftentimes want to skip the journey and get right to the destination. We don't want to put the hard work in, we simply want the reward. And, Spiritually speaking, that's what's available to us. Spiritually speaking, works and labor don't work. Spiritually speaking, Jesus did the heavy lifting and now we can enjoy the fruit of HIS labor. Which is amazing. Because His labor was His passion--His death, burial, and resurrection. That is what has equipped and empowered us to be who we are. Who we REALLY are. Which is who we are in Christ. Which is who Christ is in us. It is when we take what He has given us and begin to experience it, by using it, that we have to put in maximum effort. Receiving and releasing the gift of God is what allows us to experience the gift we've been given. Being patient with each other (and ourselves) is what allows us to ENJOY the journey we're on, instead of trying to skip right to the end. Which, I suppose, is what living in the moment is all about. Not neglecting the fact that our actions of today affect our tomorrows, but simply finding that balance between living life to the fullest today AND understanding that we are on a never-endling life-long journey into the heart of the matter; which is the heart. God's heart beating with love in our chests. What we need to understand, and what I think I'm trying to say in my roundabout way, is that it came to pass, not to stay. Where you are right now is not where you will be forever. So don't get stuck. Enjoy what you can while you can, but understand that life is constantly changing and evolving. Maturation is a process. Rome wasn't built in a day. We can't expect people who haven't gone through what we have to understand where we are and why we're there. And we can't expect someone who hasn't been through what we've been through to BE where we are, either. We have to walk our own path and let other people walk their own path. We have to understand that other people are not under our control. Even my ten year old son. He's my responsibility, but he's his own person. We have to let people be who they are, not who we wish they were. I really think that would solve so many problems. "Live your best life, just don't tell me how to live mine." Live and let live. And, again, there are things you shouldn't accept or stand for. I'm not saying you shouuld ever let people use you or abuse you. I'm simply saying, just because someone else is different than you, that doesn't necessarily make them wrong. We're allowed to be different. We're allowed to disagree. And we can still fellowship. Major on the majors and minor on the minors. Be patient with people. And with yourself. We are ALL works in progress. We are complete in Him, fearfully and wonderfully made. Yes. But we are also learning, bit by bit, line upon line, precept upon precept, what that means. What it means to be complete. What it means to be Jesus--God in the flesh, love in a body. And that takes times. That... takes patience!