Love is Patient

I am sure many of you have heard of the Love Dare. What is it and how can it really help me? Well, I'm going to be posting at least once a week on what I have learned. I am going to put these dares in to practice in my own life.

Most of you know I have a hard time letting go. I am a guarded person and don't let many people in. I tend to not love or let myself be loved by many people. Instead I turn to anger or judgment. I pick at relationships until they fall apart.

I have been trying to lead more with my heart and choose to love rather then letting anger lead me. I have a responsibility to protect and guide my heart, not just protect it.

This week I'm working on Patience. This is something that I have very little of. I tend, to jump to conclusions and not think things through. The verse that I have been coming back to over the last few days has really spoke to me. It is short and to the point. "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. " (Ephesians 4:2)

In the book I've been reading it says "Love will inspire you to become a patient person. When you choose to be patient, you respond in a positive way to a negative situation. You are slow to anger. You choose to have a long fuse instead of a quick temper. Rather then being restless and demanding, love helps you settle down and begin extending mercy to those around you." *Love Dare*

I know that nobody likes to be around an impatient person, you feel like you are always walking on pins and needles waiting to be judged. Being impatient is something that not only annoys others, but let me know you, it bothers that person too. I don't like to be impatient. Sometimes it blows up from out of nowhere. The majority of the time, I do blow up in anger mostly. I can tell you it is almost always regrettable.

Proverbs 14:29 "He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly"

Thessalonians 5:15 "See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another"

The last thing that really has been poking at me in this first chapter was when it talked about can your husband know that cheering for the last of a sports game won't invite a loud-mouthed laundry list of ways he could be better spending his time! This was a HUGE stab at me! I am always telling Jeff, you could be doing this or that instead of wasting your time watching that stupid game. Then I turn and look at myself, would I rather be doing those things then shopping, or blogging??? I should not judge him for something when I do the exact same thing on a Tuesday night watching one of my shows.

Some of you may be wondering, why are you putting this out there? I'm telling everyone how impatient and angry I am, so I have others to hold me accountable. I am trying to be more patient, but I am human. I have faults I am not perfect by any means. I am however, not afraid to admit that either.

Now, I do have to tell you since my husband NEVER reads my blog, I think it is good for me to use this to get my progress out there. It's like I have a million (okay maybe 1 or 2) people out there that I am confiding in.

I want to leave you with one last verse:
James 1:19 - "Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger."

A HUGE thank you to my sources for this post. The Bible, The Love Dare