Patience is a Virtue...
...that sometimes seems impossible to have.
I'm sure you've heard by now that we move a lot, and if you haven't check out the about page. I am a self-proclaimed nomad. Sometimes I like to put the adjective "reluctant" in front of that (that's an adjective right? I don't know, I'm tired). I'm a reluctant nomad. There I said it. We've moved 7 times in the last 7 1/2 years and I was done a years ago. But it's good for the Handsome's career, we've lived all over the country (cool, right?), my children have all been born in different states, I've met a lot of people, and learned a lot of things from those people. People are so cool. Really. Everyone has something the share and teach you and we all have something important to say (we are all worth it. Entre scripture of the week D&C 18:10-11). That is probably my favorite thing about moving, meeting new people and learning from them. I've made some good friends along the way (friend shout out, you know who you are!). We have had super cool experiences. Moving has been exactly what I and my family has needed. This little shy person (aka me) needed to have something that forced me out of my shell and moving around has certainly done that a little bit. I am still shy and introverted deep down inside my soul. Moving has just been great.
But it has been hard too. Especially when one of your biggest EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER,EVER dreams is to buy a super old house for dirt cheap, on 5 acres in a cute little southern town that I can rehab Nicole Curtis style and give it some Fixer Upper farmhouse flare (side note-alliteration is awesome!). White picket fence is optional, but welcome if the budget allows. Seriously though. I want some doggies, and maybe even a few mousers (although, probably not. Cats are not my best friend). I want a huge garden and a little orchard of fruit trees (mangoes, avocado (hello guac), lemons, limes, apples, peaches (peaches, waffles, maple syrup and whipped cream. YESSSSS!!!!). I want my kids to stay at the same schools throughout their lives. I want to have friends that I can hangout with for man than just a year (that part stinks. seriously stinks). I want to see my handsome for more than an hour each night. He should have a little garage for all his woodworking. A sewing/crafting/awesome room for me would be the BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED. And a piano room, something I have wanted since I started learning piano (with french doors please, so I can play whenever I want to, even after the kids go to bed. Room for yoga mat necessary). I just want roots. That dream makes me very reluctant to be a nomad. Sometimes I am okay with my lot in life (hopefully it is temporary. Right now it is what God wants-trust me. We've prayed about it more than I would like to admit). Sometimes, not so much. Today has been a not so much kind of day.
Sometimes when I see people I know move close to family (also part of my dream), or get their dream home, move close to mine or my husband's family, or yadda yadda yadda, I get really excited for them at first, and then my good ol' friends jealousy and depression move in for awhile. UGH. Major jealousy moment this morning. I recognized I was going down a slippery slope, which is so hard to come out of sometimes, okay, often. And I decided to pray for help. On my walks each morning I listen to religious talks given by Mormon leaders. So as I scrolled through to find a talk that would hopefully help me feel better I eventually found a talk by Dieter F. Uchtorf (he is so cool! And he looks like my dad, which is also cool). It was about patience, which is exactly what I needed, and patience is always the answer I get when I pray about moving and settling down. So, I shouldn't have been surprised, but I kind of was. If you'd like to listen to it here it is.
https://youtu.be/hihHv3V_JQ0
Here are some of my favorite quotes from his talk:
"Patience is a purifying process that refines understanding, deepens happiness, focuses action, and offers hope for peace."
"Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can—working, hoping, and exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well! Impatience, on the other hand, is a symptom of selfishness. It is a trait of the self-absorbed. It arises from the all-too-prevalent condition called “center of the universe” syndrome, which leads people to believe that the world revolves around them and that all others are just supporting cast in the grand theater of mortality in which only they have the starring role."
"Often the deep valleys of our present will be understood only by looking back on them from the mountains of our future experience. Often we can’t see the Lord’s hand in our lives until long after trials have passed. Often the most difficult times of our lives are essential building blocks that form the foundation of our character and pave the way to future opportunity, understanding, and happiness."
If there is one thing I have learned about being patient, it is that there is little good in waiting around for the thing you want most to happen. Waiting just leads you to trouble. He said that patiences means "working, hoping, and exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed." That's the important part about going through trials. The only way to be patient during your trial is to keep on enduring. Keep chuggin' along. Work is involved. Hope is involved. Faith is involved. Work and serving helps you forget your trials and your burdens can be made light through that. I've seen it time and time again, and I'm going to hold on to that today.
Whew. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Yoga helps. Taking care of my children takes up a lot of time, which helps keep my mind off of it. Helping others helps. Doing crafts and creating helps. Smiling always helps. So I will just keep working, and hoping, and being faithful, and bearing this hardship. And hopefully one day, that dream of an old fixed up house on a 5 acre homestead will not just be a dream, but a reality (oh, and a basketball court outside would be nice as well, but I'm not going to ask for too much. really.).
Life is good. Life is hard. But like he said, trials help us gain experience and knowledge that we would not have received ANY OTHER WAY. So, I guess I can be willing.
What is is your number one trial you are dealing with right now? What trial do you have that requires patience?
I'm sure you've heard by now that we move a lot, and if you haven't check out the about page. I am a self-proclaimed nomad. Sometimes I like to put the adjective "reluctant" in front of that (that's an adjective right? I don't know, I'm tired). I'm a reluctant nomad. There I said it. We've moved 7 times in the last 7 1/2 years and I was done a years ago. But it's good for the Handsome's career, we've lived all over the country (cool, right?), my children have all been born in different states, I've met a lot of people, and learned a lot of things from those people. People are so cool. Really. Everyone has something the share and teach you and we all have something important to say (we are all worth it. Entre scripture of the week D&C 18:10-11). That is probably my favorite thing about moving, meeting new people and learning from them. I've made some good friends along the way (friend shout out, you know who you are!). We have had super cool experiences. Moving has been exactly what I and my family has needed. This little shy person (aka me) needed to have something that forced me out of my shell and moving around has certainly done that a little bit. I am still shy and introverted deep down inside my soul. Moving has just been great.
But it has been hard too. Especially when one of your biggest EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER,EVER dreams is to buy a super old house for dirt cheap, on 5 acres in a cute little southern town that I can rehab Nicole Curtis style and give it some Fixer Upper farmhouse flare (side note-alliteration is awesome!). White picket fence is optional, but welcome if the budget allows. Seriously though. I want some doggies, and maybe even a few mousers (although, probably not. Cats are not my best friend). I want a huge garden and a little orchard of fruit trees (mangoes, avocado (hello guac), lemons, limes, apples, peaches (peaches, waffles, maple syrup and whipped cream. YESSSSS!!!!). I want my kids to stay at the same schools throughout their lives. I want to have friends that I can hangout with for man than just a year (that part stinks. seriously stinks). I want to see my handsome for more than an hour each night. He should have a little garage for all his woodworking. A sewing/crafting/awesome room for me would be the BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED. And a piano room, something I have wanted since I started learning piano (with french doors please, so I can play whenever I want to, even after the kids go to bed. Room for yoga mat necessary). I just want roots. That dream makes me very reluctant to be a nomad. Sometimes I am okay with my lot in life (hopefully it is temporary. Right now it is what God wants-trust me. We've prayed about it more than I would like to admit). Sometimes, not so much. Today has been a not so much kind of day.
Sometimes when I see people I know move close to family (also part of my dream), or get their dream home, move close to mine or my husband's family, or yadda yadda yadda, I get really excited for them at first, and then my good ol' friends jealousy and depression move in for awhile. UGH. Major jealousy moment this morning. I recognized I was going down a slippery slope, which is so hard to come out of sometimes, okay, often. And I decided to pray for help. On my walks each morning I listen to religious talks given by Mormon leaders. So as I scrolled through to find a talk that would hopefully help me feel better I eventually found a talk by Dieter F. Uchtorf (he is so cool! And he looks like my dad, which is also cool). It was about patience, which is exactly what I needed, and patience is always the answer I get when I pray about moving and settling down. So, I shouldn't have been surprised, but I kind of was. If you'd like to listen to it here it is.
https://youtu.be/hihHv3V_JQ0
Here are some of my favorite quotes from his talk:
"Patience is a purifying process that refines understanding, deepens happiness, focuses action, and offers hope for peace."
"Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can—working, hoping, and exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well! Impatience, on the other hand, is a symptom of selfishness. It is a trait of the self-absorbed. It arises from the all-too-prevalent condition called “center of the universe” syndrome, which leads people to believe that the world revolves around them and that all others are just supporting cast in the grand theater of mortality in which only they have the starring role."
"Often the deep valleys of our present will be understood only by looking back on them from the mountains of our future experience. Often we can’t see the Lord’s hand in our lives until long after trials have passed. Often the most difficult times of our lives are essential building blocks that form the foundation of our character and pave the way to future opportunity, understanding, and happiness."
If there is one thing I have learned about being patient, it is that there is little good in waiting around for the thing you want most to happen. Waiting just leads you to trouble. He said that patiences means "working, hoping, and exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed." That's the important part about going through trials. The only way to be patient during your trial is to keep on enduring. Keep chuggin' along. Work is involved. Hope is involved. Faith is involved. Work and serving helps you forget your trials and your burdens can be made light through that. I've seen it time and time again, and I'm going to hold on to that today.
Whew. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Yoga helps. Taking care of my children takes up a lot of time, which helps keep my mind off of it. Helping others helps. Doing crafts and creating helps. Smiling always helps. So I will just keep working, and hoping, and being faithful, and bearing this hardship. And hopefully one day, that dream of an old fixed up house on a 5 acre homestead will not just be a dream, but a reality (oh, and a basketball court outside would be nice as well, but I'm not going to ask for too much. really.).
Life is good. Life is hard. But like he said, trials help us gain experience and knowledge that we would not have received ANY OTHER WAY. So, I guess I can be willing.
What is is your number one trial you are dealing with right now? What trial do you have that requires patience?
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