Sherri Wilson Johnson is my guest writer today. Sherri is a former homeschooling mother, writer and speaker who loves to share her life with others. http://sherriwilsonjohnson.com.  So without further ado here’s Sherri….

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE

According to Galatians 5:22-23, the fruit of the Spirit is: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

Notice the word “fruit” is singular and not plural. Just like an apple is made up of the skin, flesh, seeds and core, the fruit of the Spirit is made up of all the above mentioned things. We need to have all of those traits hanging from our spiritual fruit trees.

Yikes!

 In this post, I want to focus on one part of the fruit. Patience.

Psalm 33:20 

 “We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.”

Have you ever noticed that your patience is rarely tested unless you’re waiting on something? If you’re not waiting, you’re cool as a cucumber. If you’re waiting on water to boil, does it not take forever? If you’re waiting on a friend to come over, you look out the window every time you hear a noise.

But the worst waiting is the waiting you do when someone is sick and you’re waiting on the diagnosis.

In 2001, my dad was diagnosed with malignant brain tumors which stemmed from a melanoma on his leg. The cancer had metastasized and he was given four to six weeks to live.

After brain surgery to remove as much of the tumors as possible, and a few weeks of radiation and one chemo treatment, we waited. We hoped for a miracle but we also knew the outlook was not good.

Those weeks stretched out to nearly five months, and included a broken hip from a fall, a blood clot, and the loss of scripture memory. Dad was a preacher, so this was the hardest part.

At first, we wanted more time but after five months, we begged for God to quickly take Dad home.

I’ve waited for many things throughout the years.

As a writer, I’ve spent much time waiting for each step along the journey to and beyond publication. My patience has been tested and I’ve often felt like I wasn’t accomplishing anything—just spinning my wheels.

Yet, when I waited patiently and put my hope in the Lord, I received my reward and treasured it all the more.

Although waiting is not enjoyable, it’s a part of life. It helps us learn patience and prevents us from making mistakes. Sometimes we wait and don’t understand why. Later, we see that it was God’s way of protecting us—often from ourselves.

Yes, even when Dad passed on to join my mother, many treasures were recognized because of the wait. Patience is part of the fruit of the Spirit and possibly the one piece that makes the fruit the sweetest. Commit today to wait on the Lord with patience. It is a virtue and will always serve you well.

SHARING TIME: WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR TODAY?