Patience

Many times the issue of having patience has come up. Usually by moms- usually by Christian moms. Of course the running joke is be careful what you wish(or pray) for because the Lord doesn't just give you patience, no He gives you situations in which to learn patience!
I was reading 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 today as part of my devotional. My bible also has little scattered devotionals throughout and I wanted to share that bible devotional with you today.

This is by Barbara Bush,titled Contended Heart, Patient Heart

It is common to hear women bemoaning their lack of patience as if it were the most difficult gift to pry from God's hand. In fact impatience stems almost solely from our exaggerated notions of what is due us. If we could but lower our estimation of the importance of our time, our plans and our feelings, we would find ourselves almost automatically more patient.
If we are impatient about the same things that anger God-repeated sin, inattention to his Word, social injustice-we cannot really be called impatient (as long as our opinions are expressed in love). Neither can we expect a woman to remain totally unperturbed if someone smashes into her new car. Certainly 'learning patience' is not an acceptable reason for failure to discipline a rebellious child. Patience is not the same thing as resignation or the cynical attitude that always expects the worst possible outcome.
Patience is a more positive trait. It is the ability to bear affliction, delay and interruption with calmness, perseverance and confidence in the goodness of God (Colossians 1:11-12). It is inward peace as well as outward control. It is the submission of our schedules, our viewpoints, our dreams to the greater plan of God, with the conviction that he has a good reason for every delay he allows to come our way.

I don't know about you but I find myself often losing my patience. As the manager of the home I have to have a schedule of sorts to go by or it is way too chaotic around here. I generally say it's a loose schedule, more of a guideline so I can make sure we are staying on track with caring for the home, school work, etc. Yet little things can frustrate me so much into losing my patience. I found the last paragraph of that article helpful in restructuring my thinking. Control is an illusion, I do know that. But giving it to God, remembering that His plans are so much better than mine -well this is my new challenge to remember this at the height of my frustration of a trial matter! What is losing my patience going to change anyway?!