I came upon a book today, lying on the floor in the library... a children's devotional... and the words meant so much to me, I had to write them down:
From the Bible:
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace.
Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. Ephesians 4: 1 - 3; James 1: 2 -4
Narrative:
"Hurry, Mom!" Sam urged. He was eager to get to his Little League game. "Can't you drive any faster?"
"I'm driving the speed limit," his mother assured him. Moments later, Sam's heart sank as the car slowed down. "Oh, there's road construction ahead, and traffic's backing up," she said.
"Can't you drive on the shoulder or go across the median to get off and take another road?" asked Sam, sounding desperate.
"Sam, you're going to have to be patient," siad Mom.
"I don't believe this," Sam muttered as his mother tuned off the engine. "Can't you do something?"
"No, Son, I can't," answered Mom. She added gently, "Sam, you're getting more upset by the minute, and you haven't been speaking very kindly to me." Then she asked, "Do you know why I turned the engine off when I saw we were going to be delayed?"
"So you don't waste gas."
"Right," Mom replied. "I didn't want to waste energy. But you're wasting a lot of energy getting all upset about something we can't do anything about."
Sam was quiet. Then he said, "I'm sorry, Mom. I'll try to be more patient."
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"Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love." Ephesians 4:2
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I sit and reflect on life... it's ups and downs.... people coming and going, in and out of your life. Changes... not always easy ones... come all the time. Life doesn't travel in a straight line. We can rail and rant against the changes, throwing blame and accusation, or we can do our best to make the most of what we encounter - treating others with respect and kindness... not making excuses for others, but treating them with dignity.
This is my choice.. to speak the truth in love. I am not wasting any more energy.
From the Bible:
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace.
Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. Ephesians 4: 1 - 3; James 1: 2 -4
Narrative:
"Hurry, Mom!" Sam urged. He was eager to get to his Little League game. "Can't you drive any faster?"
"I'm driving the speed limit," his mother assured him. Moments later, Sam's heart sank as the car slowed down. "Oh, there's road construction ahead, and traffic's backing up," she said.
"Can't you drive on the shoulder or go across the median to get off and take another road?" asked Sam, sounding desperate.
"Sam, you're going to have to be patient," siad Mom.
"I don't believe this," Sam muttered as his mother tuned off the engine. "Can't you do something?"
"No, Son, I can't," answered Mom. She added gently, "Sam, you're getting more upset by the minute, and you haven't been speaking very kindly to me." Then she asked, "Do you know why I turned the engine off when I saw we were going to be delayed?"
"So you don't waste gas."
"Right," Mom replied. "I didn't want to waste energy. But you're wasting a lot of energy getting all upset about something we can't do anything about."
Sam was quiet. Then he said, "I'm sorry, Mom. I'll try to be more patient."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love." Ephesians 4:2
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
I sit and reflect on life... it's ups and downs.... people coming and going, in and out of your life. Changes... not always easy ones... come all the time. Life doesn't travel in a straight line. We can rail and rant against the changes, throwing blame and accusation, or we can do our best to make the most of what we encounter - treating others with respect and kindness... not making excuses for others, but treating them with dignity.
This is my choice.. to speak the truth in love. I am not wasting any more energy.
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