As many of you know for the last year my husband and I have
been contracting our own home. At times
we have often thought, “will it ever be finished?”
There have been moments when our patience was put to the test; it was our faith that gave us the strength to carry on. With projects still to be completed I can thankfully say there have been many rewards along the way.
So where did I come up with patience, faith and reward? I don’t remember the specific day and I have to be honest I cannot take credit. A very dear friend shared those words one afternoon when it was raining almost daily. We were texting back and forth and I’m going to guess she could sense my anticipation of the day when our home would be completed.
Through the highs and lows when it felt like there would be no end in sight she shared these three words, “patience faith reward” they hit me deeply, especially when she mentioned her mom spoke of them many years ago. From that day forward she would send messages reminding me and eventually they stuck like glue.
When I hit an obstacle or life threw another brick at my feet I smiled with patience. I trusted it was happening for a reason and eventually there was always some kind of reward, even if it was something simple like a “dilly bar” from dairy queen. I know a completely unhealthy treat but sometimes they just taste good and it was a great reward at the end of some very long days.
Patience
So, what is it about this word “patience” that makes us cringe
when we hear it? We are warned not
to pray for it because God will turn our world upside down. I believe we are all looking at this word in the wrong light
and through personal experience I can honestly say, it’s a great thing to pray for.
Patience is where kindness and the love of Christ gives us hope and the wisdom to see situations with a clearer perspective. This is something I had to learn overtime and it defiantly did not happen overnight.
Roll your eyes if
you will but it is absolutely true. When I look back at my life, I can recognize the times when I should have kept my mouth shut or better yet when I should
have spoken up.
Patience is not a bad thing it’s where we grow from within and where our heart begins to filter between good and bad.
Faith
Faith is the ultimate goal, isn’t it? Having faith and what that looks like may be different for
everyone reading because we are all unique beings. We all see things through a different lens and sometimes
it’s often blurred due to overload.
What we take in and where we spend our time can often be an example of who we become. Faith is like a guided tour, which I must tell you is a lot more comforting when we walk through life with Christ.
I often wonder what it must have been like for the disciples who walked with Christ. They were right there, front and center witnessing one miracle after the other. It had to be miraculous.
It easy to miss the miracles around us because there are multiple distractions. Things can get overlooked and swept beneath the rug where nobody can notice them. Maybe this is because we don't want to get looked at funny or worse, we might stand out.
I'm a believer you cannot live a good life without faith…
Reward
My take on “reward” has changed since my friend shared
these three words with me. I once thought reward was something you worked towards after setting a goal. You lay out the steps,
you take the action, then you make it to the finish line and celebrate success. That is simply
not the case.
Reward for me is just being able to get through the day. It’s also about being able to recognize that I’m here for a purpose and when the time is right that purpose will be revealed.
Too many times reward is referred to something we can see or touch or it's something we physically want instead of something we need. Reward is growth.
Together these three words are powerful. They define a simplicity of purpose that can offer us all hope.
Hope in something bigger than we could ever imagine…
-Carole