The Beauty in Patience

Trying to find the beauty in patience.

I have been in a real rut lately awaiting the arrival of some significant events, i.e. buying a house, getting a puppy etc.
My personality does not lend itself to waiting in peace. I tend to get anxious, frustrated, and just plain restless when presented with such a situation. Just ask my poor husband who has the patience of a Saint, especially with me.
I have been asking God for patience lately and really studying what true patience is. I guess I will share with you what I have learned.
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these are some words that DO NOT mean patience
Stoicism - "bear it"
Fatalism - "put up with it"
Passivism - "roll with it"
Escapism - "move away from it"
Isolationism - "shut it out"
Humanism - "deal with it"

(I wanted to be at peace with my waiting, not just bear it or throw it under a rug.)

Patience is not a virtue achieved but more of a character received.
I listened to this great sermon based on Job 1:20-22 by Sir John Calvin (yes Calvin)
Here are a few of the more profound statements from the sermon.

Job threw himself to the ground having the aim of worship.
"i come to do Thee a new homage. When it pleases Thee to afflict me in the world. Lord I voluntarily yield myself to Thee and ask nothing unless it be to render myself subject to thy hand whatever may come of it."

"But as for us we must suffer patiently to be stripped by force when we have been clothed with goods and riches. We must allow I say that God should deprive of us of everything and we should live entirely undressed and naked and that we should be prepared to return to the grave in such condition. This I say is how we shall prove that we are patient, and this is what Job wished to indicate in this passage. Thus however and whenever we shall lack the goods of this world we should be hungry and thirsty. we shall be pressed by some afflictions and shall not have any help let us think of our origin let us look at ourselves , who we are and where we are going."

This really put things in perspective. When God places things in our hands we feel as though we are the right owners. However, God has given and can take away and either way it would do us no harm. He does not give up the title on the things we are given. We are no less injured when he takes away than when he gives; for both may please the Lord

Praise the Lord for what I have been given. We deserve total depravity and separation from Him and He has total liberty to give and take at his will.
1 Timothy 6:17
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment."
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I think I found the beauty in patience!