Patience is a forced virtue. My hypotheses is that you learn it and practice it involuntarily. My personal circumstances over the past two years have put me in a situation where God has forced my hand: I have no control over the timing or outcome of things, only the control over how I respond to the events He has placed in my life.

A personal note: Nearly two years ago, I accepted a role in my company that requires I live/work in the Northwest, and since then, I've been commuting from Colorado (3 weeks in OR/WA, then 1-2weeks back in CO) while waiting for our home to sell. The circumstances I've faced in these two years include some personal, relational, health, faith, and monetary challenges. To say that I've faced some stressors would be a mild understatement. But God is Good - He has used this situation to His glory, and I'm learning through this experience. I've seen his provision, and I am filled with gratitude for how he has worked things out. I can also see how he has used this time to both help me grow and help me stretch my faith.

This morning, during a time of reflection, I found this passage and feel compelled to share it.

Psalm 37:3-7: Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteiousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be Still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.

Who else can I trust? Thinking back, when I looked to myself only, or to a family member or friend without vetting my options with God, my track record of results aren't very good. But trust requires action -- not just sitting back and waiting. The Psalmist says - Trust in the Lord and do good. My response is to say to God, "I'm leaning on you - I need you to help me, and I don't even know what kind of help I need. But in the meantime, help me to be a blessing to others. Help me to act in a way that causes others to see YOU at work in the world. Help me to do good."

My interpretation of the second part of that verse is what else I can be doing while I am waiting and actively trusting in God:(being patient!) I can DWELL - or live - in the situation and enjoy His provision during that time. This also requires that I be mindful - and employ active trust in God. To me, this is the ultimate challenge: live in the moment. Enjoy what God provides. Trust that He is going to continue his work in me and while I'm at it, be a blessing to others. Sometimes I am so busy worrying about the future that I fail to live in today. The verse speaks to me about DWELLING and ENJOYING, and delighting in what God has given me somehow will give me the desires of my heart... This I must continue to process as I don't yet understand it.

I am "dwelling" in the moment right now. Thanks God for this time. Thanks for the sunshine and the whirr of the humingbirds and the whisper of the breeze through the pine trees. Thanks for this time-off from work that gives me the opportunity to think about you.

I'll continue my blog another time with more thoughts on the remainder of the passage. I feel the need to live in the first 15 words of the scripture for a while, and I welcome any of your thoughts and leadings!

Deb