Patience and Trust

"Commit your heart and your life to patiently waiting on God. Be obedient to what He has called you to do right now, and do it with excellence. Ask God to show you the lessons He wants to teach you in order to be ready to assume the next position He is preparing you for. Do not run ahead of the Lord. Hurry is the death of trust." Zoe Elmore

A friend sent this to me at the bottom of a regular e-mail today...and it has given me much to think about and ponder in my heart. Autumn is my favorite time of year and so I've been enjoying the cooler weather, the falling leaves and the crunch of acorns under my feet as I walk in the woods. While doing this I've thought about the times that I've felt closest to God and it's been when I was committed to God in my heart and was content with whatever He was or was not doing in my life.

The part about being obedient...that really struck a cord as my newest and best so far way of motivating myself in the little things of life has been to ask myself several times a day--"what is the next right/best thing to do?" It has helped me with my walking, doing daily Bible Study, staying in touch with friends and family who need me, household chores, and just about every aspect of life. This little phrase has helped me prioritize, helps me stay focused and on track until the job is done and crossed off the list, and keeps me remembering that my time is really God's time anyway!

This type of "self-training" has truly felt like preparation for something and it's made me feel it was important to be doing whatever I needed to do. So the saying above comes to mean that we should remember that not only are we loved and special to God, but that there is a purpose for that incredible relationship He has with us. And if we remember that there is purpose to each day and to every task of the day, then it helps us where we are instead of thinking of the "what if's" and the "if only's" of life. It brings contentment and a desire to do even better at whatever He gives me to do tomorrow.

Finally, Zoe Elmore, says: "Hurry is the death of trust" and that spoke volumes to me. My heart is often impatient--I often feel in a hurry to get out the door, to contact a friend, to have a baby arrive, to get better things, or even to get in bed. I think it's fair to say that I'm more intense than patient; that I rush instead of enjoy and that I sometimes push those I love instead of supporting them where they are. While I do better with all of these characteristics as a midwife, it's because I so believe in the process of birth and a woman's body to know how and at what pace to birth her baby. I want to be a believer with trust in other situations too rather than impatient. So, when this impatience is compared to "the death of trust" I see it so clearly and think it will help me with the reality and heart's desire that I have to truly trust God--His timing, His way and His path and schedule for me. May it help you have the ability to clear your vision for Him in your life too.