Dear Faith Family,

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! (Psalm 37:7)

Anybody else struggle with patience?  Like when a 2-hour trip takes 4 hours?  Like when you were ready early and the rest of the family, let’s just say, not so much?  Like when the commercials are longer than the tv show?  Like when the car in front of you at Chick-fil-a is ordering for his extended family of 471 people?

I’m attempting something new this year.  Instead of buying small plants and transplanting them onto my farm (translated: a 12’ X 8’ garden in my back yard), I decided to plant my own seeds in pods in a tray.

With the help of my son-in-law, I strategically, and carefully I might add, positioned the little pods under a light on the workbench in the garage.  On sunny, warm days the tray of seeds get to take a fieldtrip out to the top of the woodpile where they can soak up the sun in the backyard.

The squash seeds were the first to rise almost slinging soil as they burst through to the surface.  And the tomato seeds followed shortly thereafter.  The pepper seeds and the eggplant? (Don’t hate.  You don’t know how good eggplant is cubed, battered, and fried.  I’m just saying.)  I guess nobody told them about the farm!  They just weren’t interested in anything above ground.

That’s when my patience gets put to the test.  Discouragement and even anxiety (both siblings of impatience) are just around the corner.  Are the seeds bad?  Do I need to buy some different seeds?  Did I do something wrong?  Do I need to just buy some plants?  Or, do I just need to practice patience?

David tells us in Psalm 37 to wait patiently for the Lord.  Anybody else struggle with patience with the Lord?  Like when He doesn’t answer our prayers?  Like when the job doesn’t seem to work out?  Like when he doesn’t remove a hardship? 

It is interesting that just before the words “wait patiently” are the words “be still”.  I don’t know about you, but when I’m struggling with patience, being still is not what I want to be.  And then don’t fret?!

Why not?  Because your God can be trusted to do the right thing, the best thing, in His time!  So patience seems to be the biproduct of trust.  God will come through.  Oh, He may not do exactly as you want Him to.  But, when He’s done, you’ll be thankful for what He did do and even for His timing!  Trust Him because you know who He is.  And to bolster your trust try recalling times when He has proven faithful in the past.

The seeds?  My wife and I were away for a conference for three days. (We were trying to be still.)   When we returned today the pepper seeds and eggplant seeds had germinated and were there waving to us on the workbench in the garage!

Trying to wait patiently for Him,
Pastor Karl