Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Cor. 15:58

design

Saturday, July 13, 2013

A Study in Patience

A Study in Patience

When my daughter was four years old, my mother (her Nana) asked her what she wanted for her birthday. My daughter said an Easy Bake Oven. Nana (thankfully) didn’t want to get her one and, as an excuse said, “Oh look, the box says you have to be 8 to have it. Are you 8?”

“No.” My sweet girl shook her head.

“Okay.” Nana smiled, happy to have that crisis averted. “You can have it when you are 8.” They went on their way, and Nana assumed she forgot it.

As parents, we’ve all done that (or I assume you have. I have). If we don’t want our kids to have something, we tell them something and hope they forget it.

My daughter, though, surprised us all.

On her fifth birthday she announced, out of the blue, “Only three more years until I can have my Easy Bake Oven!”

On her sixth birthday, “Only two more years until I can have my Easy Bake Oven!”

On her seventh birthday, “Only one more year!! I can’t wait to be eight to get my Easy Bake Oven.”

In the four years since Nana told her those fateful words, “You have to wait until you are eight”, my daughter has never once begged for an Easy Bake Oven. She hasn’t cried. She hasn’t whined. She’s just been very upbeat that she WOULD get an Easy Bake Oven. All she had to do was wait.

I wish I was more like my eight year old.

Patience can persuade a prince, and soft speech can break bones.

I can think of this two ways. 1) She KNEW her Mama would give her exactly what she promised. 2) She had patience to wait (four years… an eternity to a kid) for it.

I don’t know about you, but I want things NOW! I write fast because I can’t stand having an unfinished story. I can write a book (60,000 words) in about 3-4 weeks. Because of that, I have this tendency to want EVERYTHING fast. I’m a horrible, “I want it now!” person.

I guess you could say my daughter got my patience… because I sure don’t have any left ;)

Now, don’t get wrong. I’m patient with people (in my line of work you have to be). I’m patient with kids. But when it comes to things from God, I’m not! I have everything planned out and if He doesn’t hit *my* marks, well He’s slow and I’m sad.

I need to take a lesson from my daughter. She never complained once about having to wait four years for her Easy Bake Oven. But she never forgot it either.

Pray.

Be hopeful.

Look to the future.

Know your blessings will come (Who doesn’t want an Easy Bake Oven?)

But be happy with what you have now.

Did my daughter just not play with any toys while she waited for her Easy Bake Oven? Did she sit, mope, hate life, and stare at a wall until her blessing came?

No, she enjoyed her other toys (her blessings as it were), waiting for the big desire of her heart.

Don’t miss out on playing with your other *toys* because you are waiting for your *Easy Bake Oven*. It’ll come… and hey, it might even be the new and improved ‘Ultimate Oven’… a much better blessing than you would have gotten four years ago.


Patience.
 photo downsized_0712131048_zpsa49a0414.jpg
(My oldest and youngest kids have the same birthday. My 8 year old with her new Easy Bake Oven. My 3 year old... all she wanted was a big ball. Yeah. ;) )

~Kelly


2 comments:

  1. That looks like such a fun gift! I can imagine her waiting all that time for it - she sounds just like my daughter! My boys would probably forget all about something like that, but she remembers :) I'm glad she got it finally! It reminds me of the saying ' good things come to those who wait' - and definitely a great lesson in patience!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Awesome Post! I was one of those kids... I remembered everything I wanted and when I could would get it :)

    I think, at times we all are the ones wanting everything right away from God. Sadly, thats why some people pray, is to get what they need right away.

    We can learn a lot from a young, innocent, and smart Children. Though they do not understand much, or how things work, they end up teaching us. Reminding us to be patient, to be innocent, to like a child, and take a pause in life and look at life!

    Mike
    praytogodtoday.blogspot.ca

    ReplyDelete