My husband and I have this habit that is both good and bad. We love to stay up at night talking to each other. From the first night we met, we would stay up until almost 4 a.m. most nights just talking about nothing and everything. We were in college at the time, and I did not mind staying up so late because my classes were later in the day so I would just sleep in. He had 8:00 a.m. classes; so, he must have really loved me to stay up chatting with me so many nights. Well, fast forward to over a decade later, and we still do this!
Last night, my head hit the pillow around 11:00 p.m., and I turned to him to pray with him and say good night. Well, before I knew it, it was late, very late, and we were talking about our relationship before marriage, and how we came together. The ups, the downs, the friends, and everything in between. The conversation was so sweet to me because it reminded me of the journey and the time it took for us to both realize we could not live without each other. This journey had so many beautiful moments (and heartbreaking moments) that were shaded by the people we were maturing to be.
And, now for my latest quilt….
This morning, while I thought over my conversation with hubby last night, I could not stop thinking of this quilt. The meandering colors spoke to me about the journey through life we have had together and that despite where we have been and what we have been doing, God never left us. He was always there. And, in that moment, comfort hit me like a wave. I felt comfort in knowing that when I was at my worst, he helped me, and loved me even more by helping me out of it. My relationship with God took time, and my relationship with my hubby took time. You do not get to know someone’s character in two weeks.
One of the things I enjoy about quilting is that it takes time. Yes! It is slow and methodical, and often mindless. You come up with a plan, pattern, or idea, and then, you find the most beautiful way to carry it out. And, this my friend, is my approach to life. (1) Find out God’s will/plan/desire. (2) Believe He is able to do it. and (3) Have patience. The bible says in Hebrews 10:35, 36 says “So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.”
Here is the back:
So, I want to briefly chat about how to enjoy the journey. You know, that patience part. When you know the dreams God has in your heart, and you just want them all NOW. Patience seems like a dirty word to some because, frankly, waiting can be frustrating. And, technology has made waiting unnecessary in so many ways so we lack practice in waiting. How did people raise children before google and YouTube? Seriously!
Patience is not waiting, though. Patience is how you wait. Google tells me that patience is “the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.” Patience is about how you wait. It is about attitude and choice. Apply patience to your every day life. Refuse to let the worries over every day things cause anger and frustration to you, and it will make patience easier with the bigger things. Start small. Start with watching a 2 year old complete a task you have asked them to do thirty times that day. Ok, maybe that is not small, but start somewhere because you get good at what you practice. Oh, and look at Luke cooperating. Two year-olds cooperate so well with food in hand!
The baby also needed an apple 🙂
Another key to practicing patience is to remember that life is not all about having everything finished because everything in life will NEVER be finished. As long as you have breath, something will need to cleaned, a meal will need to be prepared, a butt will need to be wiped, the laundry will need to be put away, and a project will be on the table. I think our attitude about wanting everything finished comes from our desire to rest. It takes faith to rest. Faith that life will still be manageable if you stop for one day. I hear the word “hurry” so much that it has become like a curse word to me. I even despise it more when it comes out of my mouth to my children when I am lacking time. God help me slow down and enjoy all the moments I have with my children while they are small, medium size, and big. I don’t want to wish away my life by looking forward to the completion of the things I am working on.
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