MUSIC BLOG
JUNE 14, 2023
Patience
Proverbs 16:32
HCSB
32 Patience is better than power, and controlling one’s temper, than capturing a city.
I love to drive across the country. Since I was a youngster, I couldn’t wait to get in the car and go. My favorite place to land was between mom and dad in the much-coveted front seat spot. Very often we would pick mom up from her job at Bendix where she worked the night shift. Our family would head to western Kansas, or Kentucky, or Georgia. The destination wasn’t as important as the trip. I would try to stay awake and listen to mom and dad talk about their day and how great it was to get out of town and did everything get done and turned off before we left, usual stuff. After about an hour or two, my dad would invariably look up and notice the moon. Then he would make a comment and my parents would begin to sing every song about moons for 30 or 40 minutes, and sing very well and always with a little harmony thrown in. That’s about the time the coffee thermos would come out and I would hold the thermos lid and hope to get a sip. I don’t remember a spot in our home where I felt safer or more loved.
Life is a journey; I love Colton Dixon’s lyrics for Through All of It. Here’s a portion:
I have won and I have lost. I got it right sometimes but sometimes I did not.
Life's been a journey I've seen joy; I've seen regret Oh and You have been my God Through all of it
I realize that enjoying the journey is a common thought and theme, but why do we struggle with this? We struggle to do the right thing and when we succeed, we worry that it’s not enough or that someone won’t be happy about it. We experience loss, sickness, frustration, anger, disappointment, betrayal, all situations, or emotions that are truly common to our collective human experience. From God’s perspective, each of these things can be joyful places in our live where God demonstrates His power and love to us in a truly remarkable and spectacular way. However, our gut reaction is to take offense to God. To blame Him for letting us down or to feel guilty and ashamed because our faith wasn’t strong enough or we just weren’t good enough.
“Life’s not fair!” you cry. That’s right! It’s not. Things don’t go the way you planned. You don’t get the jobs you want. You don’t always get to sit with your friends. You lose the card game sometimes. Your spouse walks out, you get cancer, your kids hate you. So what do you do?
The only advice I feel qualified to give is this. Life is short, people are precious, enjoy the journey with the people God has blessed you with. Enjoy your kids when they’re young. Invest in others. Be a blessing whenever you can because someone’s life is way worse than yours and be all mean, be patient. Wait on the Lord. He hasn’t given you what you think you need because there’s something else He must do in you so that you can truly appreciate the gift that’s coming.
Trust in the Lord and do good
Trust in the Lord, wait patiently for Him and he shall give you your hearts desire.
As Felix Mendelssohn paraphrased psalm 37:
O rest in the Lord, wait patiently for Him,
And He shall give thee thy heart’s desires.
Commit thy way unto Him, and trust in Him,
And fret not thyself because of evil-doers.
If you find yourself struggling, take heart. God’s hand is hand is not shortened nor is His ear dulled so that he cannot hear. God will take care of you. Be patient and rest in Him.
Blessings,
Marty
