Patience PLEASE

1 Corinthians 13:4-7  "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

      I promised to take Taylor on the bus one day during Easter Vacation.  It's a big deal because this is how Taylor is going to get around for much of her future...that is if she can't convince her sister to take her around and earn some gas money...
     I had this crazy realization as I was tapping my fingers, checking out my phone, and looking every 2.5 seconds for the bus to come.  (We happened to be about 15 minutes early!)  Taylor's entire life will be about patience.  She'll have to wait for someone to pick her up, drop her off, wait for someone to give her directions, wait for someone to help her out...wait wait wait wait wait.  Then wait some more. 
      Taylor is really good at being patient, and she's really good at taking her time.  I am NOT!  I want to move fast, get there fast, do hundreds of things up until the last second, then push the limits of time but relish in being there right on time with my to-do list checked off.  Sitting with Taylor and seeing how bad I am at waiting made me realize I am not helping her out for the future by satisfying my own instant gratification problems.  I am also realizing that patience helps me listen better.  I had a blast listening to Taylor and having some fun conversation with her.
   Of course, I also see how patient God is with me, but that's another entry for another day!

Waiting for the bus...practicing patience

We have reached our destination! Just a bustrip away

Bev's Prayer Mat

     My mother-in-law, Bev is an amazing prayer warrior!  She was so sick for about 4 months, and the doctors finally figured it all out after a few days in the hospital and pumping her with lots of different medications, followed by lots of medications at home.  One of the things I found out while helping her around her house was that she has had a prayer mat for years...in fact, the same prayer mat for years! 
     I looked on her table and saw this gardening mat.  It was worn so badly that I just had to inquire about it.  She told me it was her prayer mat and that she used it almost every day during her prayer time.  She was feeling badly that she hadn't been able to physically get down on her needs most days these last few months.  The most amazing thing about this is that Bev has suffered with rheumatoid arthritis for most of her life.  I never dreamed of her being on her knees every day.  I knew she prayed for us, for others, for the church prayer requests, for any requests people make known to her, but I never realized she physically got down on her knees.  It blew me away.
     I also got to thinking about each of the crevasses and creases I saw in that mat, and realized each one stood for a person or people and their needs brought to her attention.  I was humbled because I knew that mat had my name on it.  It had Mike's name, Lauren's and Taylor's.  It had the names of several family members who we had prayed for and who Bev prayed for.  It also had the answers to prayers upon that mat.
     Bev got me my own prayer mat.  I hope it's as worn as hers one day!