I Wasn’t Praying for Patience. I Know Better!
I wasn't praying for patience. I know better! I've learned that when I pray for patience, God gives me plenty of opportunities to practice it. A few weeks ago, I had one at Walmart.
The store was busy and chaotic, but I had survived. I loaded my groceries into my car and sat for a minute checking a few messages on my phone. Just as I was about to back out, the woman parked next to me arrived with her cart and decided to place it directly behind my vehicle, trapping me in my spot. Then she opened her two driver's side doors and rested them against my car.
I thought she must not realize I was sitting in the vehicle, so I started the car, thinking she would move her cart or, at the very least, move a little faster. Nope. I turned on my music, just in case she hadn't heard the car start. Nope. Her cart was finally empty. This was my moment. Surely she was going to return her cart and I would be able to leave. Except her doors were still resting against my car. So I waited.
I watched her slowly walk her cart to the cart return, slowly walk back, close one door and then slowly get into her vehicle. I have no idea what she was thinking. Maybe she was distracted. Maybe she couldn't hear me. Maybe she was having a bad day. Maybe she didn't even realize I was sitting there.
I tell my kids all the time that you can't control what other people do, but you can control what you do. Sitting there, I had plenty of options. I could have gotten out and said something. I could have shut her car door myself. I could have sat there getting more and more irritated while wondering how someone could possibly be that oblivious. Instead, I waited. It was an extra ten minutes of my life.
And as I sat down to write this week's Make Monday Matter, I realized I didn't really have a story to write about. Usually I have an idea or a life experience that just screams to be written about, but this week I was at a loss. So I started thinking about some of the lessons I've learned and the ones I'm still working on.
Patience!
Then I thought about James 1:5.
If any of you lacks wisdom,
you should ask God, who gives generously to all
without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
- James 1:5
So I did. I asked God to give me some wisdom about what to write this week, and patience was the lesson that kept coming to mind. I guess I had my topic after all.
Here's my version of James 1:5:
If any of you lacks patience, be careful what you pray for. God may give you plenty of opportunities to practice it.
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Make Monday Matter is my weekly Christian devotional where I share reflections on faith, running, and the small ways God shows up in everyday life.
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