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Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for Him
Psalms 37:7 (NIV)

I was born impatient.

Once my mom’s water broke, I was born within two hours. They barely had enough time to get to the hospital before I made my grand entrance. I was a big baby too, weighing in at 9 pounds and 2 ounces. My poor mom didn’t have time for any pain medicine. I still owe her for that, by the way!

So, impatience is a daily struggle for me. Whether I’m driving in my vehicle, standing in the 10 items or less line at the grocery store, or waiting for my life to take a different path, I struggle with impatience every single day.

I’ll be the first to admit, I do not do well in these situations. I have to remind myself that in these moments, I am not the one in control. He is! I can’t control the lady that has 15 items in the grocery line, but I can control how I react to that situation by practicing the hard lesson of patience.

God has been teaching me the lesson of patience since my husband Kirk’s passing.

I decided to study the Bible, take some Biblical Counseling classes, and make a difference in other widows’ lives. I have been searching for widows in my area, wanting to connect with them so that we can meet and fellowship. That task has been harder than I anticipated. I want to give other women hope and share God’s loving words of comfort and healing, but I’ve found no one in my immediate area. I keep telling myself that it’s all in God’s timing and He will let it happen when it’s His time.

PATIENCE.

Then I found A Widow’s Might, Inc, and what a difference these women have had in my life. I feel so blessed to have found women that know how I feel and know my struggles. Several of these women have children my daughter’s age. Just knowing that I get to meet all of these incredible women at yearly conferences fills my heart with joy and hope!!

Even though I am still learning the hard knocks of being patient, I feel that I am getting better with it every day. The scriptures help with my daily struggles, and learning how to deal with them the right way is priceless.

I always remind myself that

1) I am not in control, but

2) God is!

I focus on this every day and try and leave it all with Him.

One way I try to change my focus is by reading the Psalms. I love reading King David’s words. He opened his heart and poured out so many meaningful verses that are relevant to our world today. This particular verse of Psalms 37 really speaks to me. I have this verse on a small card sitting in front of my eyes at work. It brings me comfort throughout the day, especially when situations arise when I need to be reminded of Who is in control.

Lord, thank You for being patient with me as I learn the lesson of patience. I want to help others like me who need encouragement and hope in this journey of widowhood. Jesus, I owe all to You and that includes giving You full control over my life. Lord, please help all of my fellow widowed friends in finding patience and comfort in You and Your word. We love You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.