Patience is a Virtue

Patience is something that I learned about when I was just a little girl, and I am still learning how to do today. I thought that when I had forty milking goats that I would milk by hand, or training heifers and cows to lead on a halter for the show ring I had mastered the art of patients. I could spend hours working with the animals with no improvements and be completely happy, or the goat could kick over the whole bucket of milk that would spill all over me but I would just think it could always be worse. My mom always told me growing up that I had a lot of patience because the animals rarely made me crazy, but now I am beginning to realize that it was not that I was patient with the animals it was because I loved spending my time with the animals! Today I do not always have the patience that I would like to have. I don’t particularly like being stuck in a car for a long time because there are things I need to get done and I want to move around. I do not have patience when I am stuck in traffic or I cannot get somewhere as fast as I want (someone should really invent a teleporter!). When I was younger, and we would take family vacations driving to Florida, my parents always said we had a van so that us four girls could wrestle on the backseat play games and move aroun, and then they wouldn’t have to deal with us annoyingly asking if we were there yet! I am not a master of patience, and I pray that one day I will be able to be patient for every different situation! 

               There are many things in our lives that we want and we aren’t very patient for. We can get annoyed by simple things like slow walkers, waiting for someone to call/text back, watching commercials, traffic jams, having to retell a story (Okay maybe that’s not annoying in my family), but these are a few of the millions of things that people can get annoyed by. By not being patient we are letting someone or something steal our joy from us. We need to be patient, maybe take a breath, and know that it is okay to slow down every once in a while in this fast-paced world. As Christians we are traveling trough this life to our final destination of heaven or for Jesus to come back. In the bible it says, “For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay”-Habakkuk 2:3. Just as Chrsit’s return is waiting for a certain time, things in each of ourl lives are waiting for a certain time to happen. Do not let being impatient steal your joy throughout your life, but instead slow down take a breath and be happy to be exactly where you are!

Change Can be a Good Thing

We all have hopes and dreams that we are trying to achieve in life. My entire life I have lived for God, family, farming, and more specifically Guernsey cows. Do we ever have complete control of our life? We can work hard to achieve our goals, but what happens when something doesn't go our way. It is like waking up Christmas morning hoping for that special gift and not getting it, or cooking an entire meal and not having it look like the picture pinterest. I have had my life planned completely year by year (No I am not an organizer, but I know my goals).  There have been a lot of obstacles in my life that have changed me in more than one way!

I am an open book, and I have always been proud that I do not have very much to hide about my life. However, there are still some things that are hidden deep down that very few people know about. When I was a senior in high school my life was going exactly how I wanted it to go. I had sports, friends, family, a job, and I was on cloud nine. When I started applying to colleges, my two top choices were Cornell University and Roberts Wesleyan College. Growing up I always said I would never follow in my family’s footsteps and go to Cornell, and now it was one of my top choices! I remember lying in bed at night being nervous and praying to God that I would not be accepted to one so that my decision would be made for me. The day came that I found out if I was accepted to Cornell. I logged onto my account in anticipation expecting to see ACCEPTED....... but instead, I read we regret to inform you.... My heart sank. My father and my three older sisters were all accepted to Cornell, but what am I the black sheep of the family? With tears running down my face I called my parents to inform them that I was not accepted but I had a guaranteed transfer. Everyone in my family thought I was trying to pull a joke. I was humiliated, devastated, and insulted. This is not how my life was supposed to go! I thought I was never going to achieve any of my goals. However, as I attended Roberts Wesleyan I fell in love with the people and school for many of the amazing attributes they had, but four years later I now know why I had to fail and have a life changing experience to end up where I am. Roberts Wesleyan helped me to learn who I am and who I want to be in God,  It prepared me to stand true to myself at Cornell, and that Gods plans for me are better plan than I could ever have imagined! I am thankful that God answered my prayers and he led me to Roberts Wesleyan rather than having me start at Cornell. There may have been tears shed at the time, but I know that I am happier because Gods plan was better for me than the plan I had. 

 I am writing about this now because I want others to know that even if things don’t go the way you had hoped, thank God because there is something better planned for you! To start off the new year I truly am and will be an open book. When life doesn't go your way know that there is something better that will happen instead! That is Gods promise to you. Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know that plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." How has God changed your plan for the better?