Love is Patient

         I am going to put a disclaimer on this entry right now. I am writing because I feel like God has been teaching and reminding me what love truly is because of things going on in my life. It might be different then yours and that is okay. It just came at a strange time and moment. Take it how you want it but please just know I'm sharing from what I'm going through now and it isn't to match up with anything going on in the world right now though it might seem like it could. This is something God has put on my heart before this past week.
        I have 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 on my bathroom mirror for this next coming month. I always try to put different verses that the Lord is teaching me through so I can memorize them and they can get me through the day. For me, I love the Love Chapter. It has been my favorite chapter since the day that I could read the Bible by myself but that doesn't stop me from learning from it. It has just been recently in these few past years that God has really opened up my eyes to see what those verses really mean in life. Usually, it is one or two words or verses that gets me thinking but it was a whole two verses this time and seeing that around in my life now.
        1 Corinthians 13:4-5 says, "Love is patient (short version of verse 4) and it does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it does not keep any records of wrongs." These verses really helps me at my job and just with friendships in general too. It is saying that God was patient and waiting for us when we wouldn't come to Him at first so why should we be demanding of the people around us to come now. If we really loved them like we say we do, then we should wait until they are ready or until God has them ready for us. It takes time for people to open up to other people especially when they might think something more can come from it. For people like me, no matter who you are I'm just a deep person and I like to get into the deep things but it takes me awhile to see if I can trust you. People just need to give people chances to open up and show them who they really can be. When I show you that I can, you better not break that trust.
        Then with the children I work with, there is no other way but to be patience with them. They can't help what they have been through or what they have seen. How they are acting is the only way they know how to act. They haven't been taught the true meaning of love. They might kick and bite and hit you but you just have to love them all the same sometimes even those harder children a little bit more. They have to see that no matter what they do, you will always love them and never give up on them. You might be mean at first because you are trying to get them to stop the behaviors that they have learned but then before they leave hopefully they realize that you did it out of love and that no matter what they are like we still love them.
         I have all of the chapter in my cubie at work just so when I get stressed I can remember why I am there and what I'm suppose to show those children there and that is God's Love for them. I'll admit lately with everything I have been easily angered, self seeking, and dishonoring to others. If you ask people I'm sure they will tell you "yes". Then I got to thinking this week God doesn't have to treat us like He does. He doesn't have to wait for us to come to Him or He can write down all of the sins that we do and say forget her or him but He doesn't. He throws our sins as far as the east is from the west.
         God could also chose us and make us come to Him because He can do anything but yet He doesn't. He knows we could do better with Him and for Him but yet He waits. If He would just chose us right away and not let us chose then that would be Him self seeking for Himself. He could get easily upset with us and strike us down any minute but that is not the kind of God He is.
         God is a Loving God and He lets us have free will to chose which way to go. He could make this world prefect right now but then why would we need Him. He wants us to want Him. He wants to be part of our lives. I've been seeing things across the internet for women that says, "a strong girl doesn't need a man in her life but she wants one" or something along those lines. I would have to say that it is true for God and a human being. We were all made for relationships because God is relational. That is part of His image that He made in us, especially us women.
           I know it is hard waiting for that one "prefect" guy to come in your life but when you think about it you already have the most prefect guy in your life. You have God and no earthly guy can beat that. They can try but they never will. Guys, if you see that has a challenge I would like to see you try. Women, you do want a guy that tries to reach that status but you also have to remember that he is human just like you and will not be prefect in every way. That is one of the many reasons that God needs to be the center of each and every marriage. Humans will just fail every time but God never will.