Tag: patience

Waiting

/ CD Hamman / Leave a comment

I think I am learning a little bit of a lesson in waiting. Waiting is NOT one of my strengths. I hate waiting. Not only do I hate waiting, but I am a very impatient person. But over the past month I have been forced to wait. I waited over two weeks to receive my hardcopy of my CDL. I waited about three weeks to begin orientation for my new job. During the two and a half days of orientation, I had to wait to find out that I definitely had the job. Now, I find myself waiting for a trainer. Even though I am getting paid while I wait for a trainer, I don’t want to wait. I want to get going now. I could call the training department every hour or even every minute. Of course, I know that would be fruitless. If they don’t have a trainer available for me, my constant calling them isn’t going to change the situation. So, I wait, knowing that they know I’m here. And I also know that they  know that my sitting and waiting is only costing them money. In fact, until I complete my training, and am assigned my own truck, they know that I’m not even making the company money.  So I know their plan is not for me to sit around waiting for very long. I know that they will get me out with a trainer as soon as possible.

But what do I do while I wait? Fortunately, I have some training material that has to be completed before my training is over. I work on reading, and completing the written material.

Many times God has us wait on Him. What do we do with that time we are waiting. I hate to admit it, but I have usually been guilty of spending that time whining, and complaining. To be honest, I haven’t suddenly changed over night. But I am trying to see where God is working, and what He may be trying to teach me. Nothing I do or say is going to make God move any faster. Just because I am in a waiting pattern on something does not mean he has forgotten about me. God has a plan. Often, my job is to simply trust and follow the instructions He has given me.
I’m the meantime, I continue to prepare.

How do we prepare? God has provided us with training material; we call it the Bible. Just as I have to read the company’s training material to familiarize myself with my new company and job, I have to read my Bible to get familiar with God, and to know what He desires of me. As I do so, I also find myself not only getting familiar with Him, I find myself drawn into a relationship with Him, and with others who also have a relationship with Him. In so doing, I also become better prepared for whatever task He may call me to complete. And sometimes, our task is to simply “Be still.” And wait.

I still don’t like to wait. But I’m trying to learn to use the waiting time wisely. To prepare for the next task, next crisis, or next miracle that God desires me to be a part of.

My challenge for 2014

/ CD Hamman / Leave a comment

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. (Colosians 3:12-15 NLTse)

My challenge this year is to put the above passage into practice. What would happen, first in our individual lives, then in our local churches, then in our communities, if each of us who call ourselves Christians would seek to put this passage into practice? If instead of seeking to condemn another person, we simply forgive them. I suspect that there would be a gradual transformation that would spread, and we would become even more effective than ever at reaching those who are lost.
Now, I am certainly not going to claim that this is an easy thing to do. Forgiveness is not for wimps. It’s actually one of the hardest things to do, and even when we manage to forgive, the memories creep up on us when we last expect it. But it is possible. If we will allow the Holy Spirit to work within our hearts, He will transform us into more Christ-like individuals, who are able to share the love that Christ has for is with those whom we may otherwise find unloveable.

Also notice it doesn’t say forgive if the other person asks you to forgive them. It says we are to make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive anyone who offends us. Further, this isn’t a suggestion. It is an order, a command. Paul goes on to say that we must forgive others.

I admit, I have felt some serious conviction over this. Forgiveness does not come easy. But I must. Because God demands it. Because Christ forgave me. And because, if I want peace in my own life, then I have to be willing to let go of the garbage that comes along. It doesn’t say forgive only if the offense was unintentional. And it certainly does not say it’s ok to hold a grudge if the other person purposefully offended you.

Further, it is love which binds us together as believers in Christ. Can you, or I, truly love others if we refuse to forgive? I don’t think so. In fact, I’ll change that to a straight “no, we cannot.” Because when we refuse to forgive we allow our hearts to begin to harden. A hard heart is simply not capable of love, or peace.

Finally, be thankful. When? Always. I’ll be honest, I think Paul was a bit off his rocker here. How am I supposed to be thankful when so much of life gets in the way? You know what I mean. How am I supposed to be thankful when all the bad things like bills, accidents, sickness, death, foreclosures, and disasters seem to be an endless cycle? I have to honest here too, this is also a tough one for me, and probably for many people. But I think I have a solution. Instead of waiting until Thanksgiving to figure out something to be thankful for, think of at least one thing each day. I don’t care how depressed you get, and I am talking from experience, if you ask God to name just one thing that you have to be thankful for, and listen to Him, He will show you several things.

So I think I can sum up this challenge with just a few words: forgive, love, peace, and thankful.

Will you accept this challenge? Or maybe God has a different challenge for you this year. Whatever He asks of us, may our Heavenly Father bless us, and help us to grow stronger in our faith, and in our love for one another this year.