Saturday, August 23, 2014

Finding Joy in the Waiting

     In any stage of life, I think waiting is one of the most difficult things God asks us to do. Patience is not a natural state for any person, but it is a character trait that God often requires us to exhibit. We wait to graduate high school. We wait to get married. We wait to be at an age where we can start a career or a family. We spend a great deal of time waiting.

     It is in these times that I have found it the most difficult to be content. Currently, I am waiting to have a baby. While I only have to wait a few more days, I have noticed that my attitude has become increasingly short-tempered. I have allowed my physical discomfort and heightened hormones to rule my attitude and at times steal my joy. Rather than focusing on the blessings in my life, I have allowed my mind to focus on only on the wait. Yes, this wait is almost over, but if I don't confront this attitude now then it will only continue after this wait time is over. At that point, will I only focus on waiting until Jude is sleeping through the night? Then will I focus on waiting until I can stop breastfeeding or until Autumn finally cooperates with potty training?

     If I don't check my mindset, then life becomes perpetual waiting for something "better" without noticing the joys of today. Patience and rejoicing are not my strengths, and it seems that God has to frequently remind me of these lessons.

    At this point I have to challenge myself to focus my mindset on finding joy and thankfulness in the everyday and the mundane instead of just waiting for next phase in life. What will you rejoice in today?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such thing there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23

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