I should have known better than to pray for patience, and I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth.
But in a moment of culminated frustration yesterday evening in the car, I fervently prayed (rather, shouted so that my children could hear), "Please, Lord! Give me patience with these children!!"
And behold, the Lord giveth.
This morning was our first test. Every one of my lovelies were late to school/preschool/daycare. Charlotte, because she is a toddler and isn't responsible for herself yet, was the only one not at fault. Including me. No one could find the socks that we just folded and put away on Sunday. Fibs were told concerning if, in fact, little teeth had or had not been brushed. We caught every red light from Clearwater to Largo to Safety Harbor to Dunedin and back to Clearwater again. We even sat at a stoplight for ten minutes, unable to turn left across three lanes of traffic, because the light was broken. That is, until a police officer came to the rescue and fixed the problem. Ten minutes, folks. During the morning commute, that roughly equals an hour.
I forgot my phone at home and had to keep a tally of messages and notes in my head, as opposed to dictating them for quick reminders later. Photoshop is acting up, and my Wacom pen suddenly has a mind of its own.
All this to say, I have had more opportunities to practice patience this morning than I've had all week long. I will choose to be thankful for these opportunities, and I will take my lumps and lessons as humbly and gratefully as possible.
But seriously, take my advice. DON'T EVER, EVER, PRAY FOR PATIENCE. Because God has a fine sense of humor.
Have a wonderful day!! :)
-Stacey