I have a confession to make.
The biggest issue I’ve struggled with lately is patience. Better yet, my lack of patience.
Most people that know me probably think I’m a pretty patient person {which is sometimes true}. When out in public, I can usually keep my cool and deal a little more patiently when things don’t go my way.
When it comes to my family, the ones I love the most, sometimes it seems like I have ZERO patience at all. What usually happens is I go through the day caring for my family while trying to keep my emotions under control during the stressful parts. The problem is I quickly accelerate to my “limit” and sometimes lose my patience before I can catch myself. So this means that I end up hurting the ones I love the most.
Why is that?
We often are the most comfortable with our family. Therefore I’m not as likely to edit my actions before they come out.
Most of this problem is coming from me. I do however have two little people that add a lot of joy and a little more stress to the equation:
I have a precious one year old son who is fluent in screaming. During meal time his main form of communication is lots of screaming.
I also have an almost four year old who is really testing her limits {and my sanity} I feel like I’m in a constant set of repetition trying to teach her life lessons while wondering if it’s ever going to sink in.
I spend a lot of my days working on keeping a positive attitude and trying to be a good influence on my kids. By the time I do lose my cool, it’s usually over something so ridiculous it’s laughable.
Today I’m going to share some of the ridiculous things that I go nuts over and how I’m trying to overcome it. You may relate to some of these so I’m hoping it makes you laugh.
Rediculous Things That Make Me Lose My Patience
- Someone is ALWAYS at my feet. Weather it’s my kids or my two cats I’m constantly tripping/pushing someone away.
- I feel like I’m in a constant state of searching for the same three things: my cell phone, my keys, or the remote.
- In the kitchen, there are lots of containers and lots of lids but never ones that coordinate together.
- Even the most simple tasks have to be put on hold at least 5 times before they get accomplished.
- Being asked for chocolate for the tenth time. And it’s only 8 A.M.
So, what am I going to do about this?
If you’re struggling like I am, here’s some important things to remember:
I have to go to my source of help when I’m struggling. Yes it’s true patience is something I don’t have. “You do not have, because you do not ask.” James 4:2 I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat and complained in my mind about a situation and Jesus will gently remind me “have you prayed about this? Have you asked me for help?” Duh. If I need more patience, I need to go to Him!
Take control of your emotions BEFORE they get out of control. If I can simply recognize the fact that things are getting stressful and I’m almost to my limit, I can take a breath, quickly ask Jesus for help, often times that’s just enough for me to keep it at bay. It doesn’t mean the struggle is gone, but I have some help that I didn’t have two minutes ago.
Sometimes I have the wrong view of the situation. God is purposely giving me opportunities to practice patience. Which means I have to work at it. It’s similar to learning to ride a bike. He doesn’t just give me a bike and say “go ride”. I have to learn how to ride which involves a lot of practice and failed attempts.
There are seasons of life. If you’re in a hard season, it will not last forever. During the hardest time in my life dear friend of mine said some encouraging words that really stuck with the hubby and I. “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up” Ecclesiastes 3:1-3. Life is not always a joy, but it’s not always a struggle either.
I’d love to know:
- What are some ridiculous things that make you lose your patience?
- Tell me about some things you do to try to keep your cool
- What are some things that used to drive you crazy you can now laugh at?
This post was linked to: Inspire Me Please Weekend Blog Hop , Tatertots and Jello, and In and Out of the Kitchen
My father always said Patience is a Virtue, but he had none! My baby is now almost 22, but she still gets under my feet when she is home. I love this blog and think you have some great ideas.
Thanks you for linking this helpful and thoughtful post up to the In and Out of the Kitchen Link party.
Cynthia at http://FeedingBig.com
Cynthia–your encouragement made my day! Thank you so much. I have a feeling my daughter and I have potential for butting heads in the future. I better prepare now 😉
I’ve always joked that patience is my “limiting fruit!” I tend to be most impatient about little silly things and people who know better. I think I have a lot more grace of kids, the elderly or those who are really struggling; on the other hand I have almost no threshold for “whiners,” making excuses, and inefficiency. One thing that drives me super crazy is people who stop the elevator to go the direction they don’t want to go just because it’s the first one to arrive. Ie. they want to go from floor 2 to floor 1…rather than taking the nifty stairwell, they “ride” the elevator going up several floors, just to have it stop again on the way down because they pushed the down button. Super small, but it drives me NUTS!
Looks like we have the same limiting fruit! The elevator thing would drive me nuts too! If able, taking the stairs is better for us anyway 😉
I can definitely relate to the chocolate thing! 🙂 And the underfoot thing – my dog usually takes the brunt of that frustration. Snacks! Isaiah starts negotiating his snack as he walks off the bus some days. My main thing is I don’t get enough “me time”. Even when Isaiah is at school and Ruth asleep I still feel like i’m trapped at home sometimes. It’s very rare that I leave the house without one of the kids.
PS i’m always looking for Ruth’s shoes!!!!
I hear ya on the not enough me time. I know eventually that will change and I have to be careful not to get too upset about that!