Patience Pants

2/365

About this time, every year, I am addicted to one particular emotion: Optimism. There is an almost-unnatural hope for myself, my career, and a plain ol’ anticipation of all things new. I have suffered a few sleepless nights this week alone due to preparation-overdrive. There are so many ways that I want to improve myself and I really think that this year will be the one! Let’s see how I’m doing so far:

Goal #1 – Personal Appearance
I overslept in the morning instead of straightening my hair therefore had the frizz-frump look all afternoon. Awesome.

Goal #2 – Better Nutrition
I threw out the pear and walnut salad that I brought for lunch and opted for Taco Bell Cheesy Roll Ups instead (with large Dr. Pepper). Totally worth it :)

Goal #3 – Productive Lunch Hours
I chose to stopover at the mall next to my office instead of spending some quality time in a good book that I had lugged from home.

Goal #4 – Quiet Time
I spend my afternoons watching Desperate Housewives instead of spending much-needed time with my Lord and Savior.

Goal #5 - Evangelism
I am not furthering the Kingdom of God because I am to busy trying to build my own.

The first three goals aside, when I realized how much time I have been spending in blatant disregard for my Creator, utter disappointment was all I could muster. What has happened to me? Nothing in this world used to give me more joy than sitting in a room with the Word of God between my fingers. Somewhere along the line, my faith grew stagnant. With this lack of joy, my time with Him became less than a priority. When I do not spend time with the One who is love, how blind I feel when I wake up, months down the line, and have no idea why my heart is still.

How silly I have been to think that I can produce the kind of happiness that God intends for me without allowing Him to have a hand in its development! God’s Word is quite clear on the manner in which believers are to obtain true joy. There are many things that I find almost hidden in the scriptures, but the source of joy is not on that list.

Psalm 16:11
“You make known to me the path of Life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” - NIV

Once I recognized what joy and pleasures awaited me in God’s plan, I no longer found myself resenting the fact that I was not the one who would come up with it. The only problem with this waiting on God, is that I hate waiting. I do not own a pair of "Patient Pants" in regards to my spiritual development. I want to be wise, knowledgeable and a leader immediately. But, I also want to follow Christ and it is impossible to follow when you are busy leading. Thus, as I wait to see what God has planned for me, I hope to learn how to make this waiting process a voluntary one. It could end up that this Project 365 turns out to be 365 days of waiting, but hey, at least I am waiting with a plan, and it pays to have a plan! Keep in mind that it was NOT raining when Noah built the ark!

To help me with this Project 365, I have asked a dear friend of mine to guide me during this period of renewal. Her spiritual soul calls out to Christ in the most joyful voice and, perhaps, in hearing her He will also hear me.

Thought for the Day
One joy shatters a thousand griefs.