Patience From Trials

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. (James 1:2-3 KJV)

2022 seems to have already been filled with all kinds of temptations to be upset; to be angry; to be anxious. Crime has skyrocketed over the last few years. Wages have gone up; but, as many of us predicted, inflation has gone up even higher.  The supply chain has gotten incredibly slow.  

Our vehicle went into the shop yesterday. There is something wrong with the gear shift that caused the key to get stuck in the ignition on accessory when we try to take the key out. The mechanic was able to clean it up a bit so hopefully we can continue driving it until the part comes in. The part is expected in about four weeks.  For this kind of test, patience is required. We will attempt to not drive it unless necessary and hopefully it will last until they can do a more permanent fix. We are retired so this is probably doable for us. But, what about those who have to go to work every day? What happens when their only means of transportation goes down and they can't get the part to fix it? That would definitely be a temptation to much frustration, anxiety, and even anger. It would be a very trying test of one's faith.

As I've gotten older, I have noticed that generations below me have much less patience than I had at their ages. I accepted the temptations as reality and dealt with them. Yes, I would get upset at times; but, not usually enough to take it out on the world around me. 

It would be very wise for those who get so anxious that they can't function when they are faced with trials and temptations to remember that this will all pass and a new trials will come. That is the way of the world and until we learn to patiently deal with whatever comes our way  the anxiety that comes with trials and temptations will be compounded.

With faith; rejoice for God is with you in whatever you are going through and this too shall pass.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Trials; Patience; It's All For The Good

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

                                              (James 2-4 KJV)

I am thinking God may be thinking that he needs to work patience in me or maybe it my husband he's working patience in. It has been a week (month - many months) full of trials and I am barely able to keep up with my day to day routines like doing the dishes! It's not because I'm depressed. It's just that there doesn't seem to be enough time to get things done. Among other things, with age, we tend to slow down a bit.

Monday was full of appointments for my granddaughter and my husband. Tuesday, I had a lumpectomy and was told not to do anything for at least a week - no repetitive motions with my right arm (no vacuuming) - no lifting anything over ten pounds. I can walk and rest. Wednesday, the surgeon called to let me know that there were no cancer cells. So any worries over that are over.

Wednesday evening about 9:30 my husband informed me that his blood pressure was sky high and had been experiencing severe chest pain for a couple of hours. He insisted I drive him to the ER rather than call an ambulance. He can be stubborn about things like that. So, I sat in the ER with him until about 1:30 am Thursday when they admitted him for observation. He had a stress test that didn't turn out so good on Thursday so they scheduled a heart catheterization for Friday. The prognosis was that he needs a triple by-pass and would be transferred to Advent Health in Daytona Beach within a few hours for surgery. There were no beds available in Daytona Beach. My guess is that it might be due to "Bike Week." During "Bike Week" there can be quite a few emergencies. So, today we will wait as patiently as we can for a bed so he can get his heart fixed.

There's been a lot going on and it's hard to keep up. I don't feel like I'm running out of patience because to tell you the truth I am too tired to feel tired and a few things out of the normal have been and are being taken care of. There are positives that have come out of this week. 

We purchased a repossessed home a couple of months ago. This repossession  needed a lot of repairs which have not all been completed yet. A lot has been done; but, there are still many smaller projects to get done. On Thursday, my granddaughter and her boyfriend painted a good size section of our fence that we hadn't had time to get to. Yesterday, my son's girlfriend and her two children finished painting it. That is one more project that we no longer have to think about! 

It was a relief (especially to my husband) to find out for sure that I do not have cancer. 

At least one of my husband's health problems is being taken care of. He has been suffering with health issues for quite awhile. It may take a while for him to recover from this; but, I am convinced that he will recover and have in the end a fuller life. I am grateful for his cardiologist at Advent Health who insisted on tests and more tests to get to the bottom of why he would have chest pains. All those tests require a bit of patience waiting for results.

As I sat in my husband's room yesterday waiting for the transfer that didn't happen, I realized that even in that there was a blessing. I have been working on cleaning out the pond in our yard and sitting with him was keeping me from the  temptation to pick up the rake which I should not be touching right now!

Trials come and with trials patience. But, in the end God works all things for the good of those who love him. (Rom 8:28) Trust the Lord in times of trial. Trust that he is working things out for you.

So, this may be more than you care to know about; but, the bottom line is that no matter what happens trust the Lord for He is good and His mercy endures forever!.

God's Peace - Pr. J.