The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. In green pastures he makes me lie down; to still waters he leads me; he restores my soul. Psalm 23:1-2 (NABRE)
At the start of this year, I heard of people choosing a word to live by such as joy or love. After thinking about it, I decided my word would be patience.
People generally tend to have a hard time with patience. We want things in our time; however, patience is an opportunity for growth. Growth is what we all experience throughout our lives.
Over time and through prayer, the Lord has made me aware of how others have been patient with me—a supervisor, a friend, my mom. Reflecting on this, I wanted to give that same grace to others in my growth as a Christian, and as a person who may be able to reflect a little bit of Jesus to those I encounter daily.
Once I began my new “mission,” I immediately noticed a difference. After the initial frustration of learning to be patient with others, I actually encountered peace! As I found rest, I remembered the first part of Psalm 23. When I think of peace, I envision lying down in a green pasture and falling asleep to the soft sounds of a neighboring stream and Jesus stroking my hair back from my forehead. Complete peace and serenity. Calmness. No fear or worries exist in this vision of rest.
Patience may not seem like the typical word to use when defining peace, but then, Jesus is not typical either!
Lord, thank You for ways to teach us peace. May we always be patient and listen for Your still small voice. Amen.
© 2019 Maritza Mejias-Ditzenberger
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