Patience.............it is really an ugly word! It either reminds me of how impatient I am.......or it is too much a part of my vocabulary with PeeWees.
I remember one Easter...........
Haleigh (2 1/2) and Drew(4) both woke up sick. I left them in the den while I helped Marisa with her pretty Easter outfit, so she and Mark could go off to church. When I returned, Haleigh and Drew were hiding behind the couch - Easter baskets in their laps - surrounded by candy wrappers, with chipmunk cheeks full of candy. Patience and self control flew right out the window when they looked at all that candy!
Every afternoon, I leave the church parking lot and zip down the road, only to wait at the light at 270 and 518 for an eternity! I tailgate the car ahead of me hoping we can both scoot through on the green.........usually it does no good.........I must wait another eternity for another green. Then there is the school zone........after that the bus unloading right at my street - I can see my house but I can't get there. Patience and Self control fly right out the window when I see the finish line of my house at the end of the day!
We aren't born patient - have you ever been around a hungry baby? It is a learned behavior......of course that makes it a forgotten behavior too.
This week, focus on your patience as well as your child's. Be a good model behind the wheel, in the grocery store, or while helping your PeeWee "do something myself". Remember - it is a learned behavior, but we only master it when we seek God's help, because He is the only master of patience and self-control.
God living in me can help me wait in line patiently..............God in me can drive with patience.................God in me can wait patiently for chocolates..............