"Patience"

There are things that try our patience,

So for a minute let me vent,

I’m really not complaining,

Have peace that’s heaven-sent.

But sometimes in traffic,

I get a big surprise,

By the way they’re driving,

I can’t believe my eyes.

A-horseback I see people,

With constant snatch and spur,

Feel sorry for their horses,

Pray a buck-off will occur.

I hate to see unkindness,

‘Specially from the one in charge,

Running roughshod over people,

In their own minds very large.

I pray someone will stop them,

I will if God says yes,

But until He says so,

They put me to the test.

Cryin’, whiny children,

Crabby, mean old men,

People who are two-faced,

And users from back when.

Guess I could go on, you see,

But better not right now,

Put ‘em in the Good Lord’s hands,

And let it go somehow.

And for every challenge,

I know there will be grace,

Through each trying moment,

I see God’s smiling face.

Teaching me to trust Him,

And learn to patient be,

Don’t even have to ask Him,

He does it faithfully.

Little things and sometimes big,

He uses every one,

Not a single thing is wasted,

He always gets it done.

So as the ancient wisdom says,

To count each trial a joy,

‘Cause that is when we’re growing,

Every time He will employ.

To build up our endurance,

And bear in us His fruit,

To show His love is patient,

And bless every pursuit.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience…” (Galatians 5:22, NAS)

The fruit of the Spirit gives us the character of Jesus in ways we can never achieve on our own. The fourth virtue listed by the apostle is patience. We all know how patient God has been with us, and we are told that one of love’s most beautiful characteristics is patience. Yet life gets on our last nerve, and creates almost more stress than we can handle. When the Spirit flows through us, however, we can let patience happen. When it does, we know it’s Him and not us. Amen.

Lord, thank You for using every trial to teach us patience, in Jesus’ name

Art by Tim Crow, used by permission. Thanks, Tim, and God bless you.