Praying for Patience

ByMarjie

In Sunday school, we’ve been talking about the Fruit of the Spirit.  And I remember as a young mother with small children how much I lacked the fruit of longsuffering.  Since that time I have learned that when a believer is walking in the Spirit, they have all the fruit.  So you either have the fruit or you don’t.  You don’t have the love today and tomorrow you start developing the joy or the peace.  It doesn’t work that way, so since I didn’t have patience, I wasn’t living or walking in the Spirit.

Anyway, I didn’t like being so short-tempered with my children, so I went to the Lord in prayer and asked Him for patience.  Floyd (my husband, spiritual mentor, ten years older than I and far more mature in the Lord) said to me, “Never pray for patience because God doesn’t give patience; He teaches patience.”  I promptly returned to the Lord in prayer and took back my prayer request.  Now, you can laugh, but that’s what I did, and I believe that God respected that.

A couple of years went by, during which time I continued to grow spiritually.  Then one day I decided I was ready to develop patience.  Now whether the idea was mine, or the Lord put it in my heart to pray for it, I don’t know.  I just know that, with renewed understanding of how God develops patience in His child, I returned to the Lord with the request for patience.  And this time I prayed earnestly for it. I knew I needed it and I felt ready for whatever trials the Lord brought my way in order to develop it.

I can’t tell you what happened after that.  But I wrote a book about all the trials I had with my youngest daughter, who was born with Williams syndrome.  I titled it “Another Day, Another Challenge,” for anyone who hasn’t read it.

Just recently, a friend from church said to Floyd, “Boy is Marj patient with Michelle.”  In fact, I’ve heard several people comment on my patience, especially where Michelle is concerned.  I still think I have a ways to go, but I praise the Lord for all He’s done in my life.  At this place in my spiritual growth and development, I desire to live and walk in the Spirit.  And patience is a part of the Fruit of the Spirit.

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