Patience and persistence

Two very difficult states of mind and body that are difficult to deal with and almost impossible to include in all decision making.  They are difficult to implement as we also must take all that is attached to them.  I am not a patient man.  I can be a persistent man though.  Where would one be without the other?  They are dependent upon each other and also independent of each other.  People seldom ask for patience as that request usually is followed by patience teaching issues popping up everywhere for you to deal with.  Persistence on the other hand is like trying to catch a rabbit.  Just about that time you reach to grasp that which you have chased, it moves away again and again.  We often find ourselves caught in the trap of being patient as the rabbit dodges here and there.  Sometimes we think persistence is just about futile and abandon the quest.  That's true about patience as well.  It's true we should seize the moment but we also must be cognizant of when God places that moment before us.  We feel frustrated because we wait for "our" moment instead of "Gods" moment.  When we do this we take the moment and make it ours.  We do the same thing with persistence.  We take away the chance to be persistent in God's view of things.  Having done so, we turn to the rest of the world and wonder why they aren't doing the same.  Here is the truth we need to hear today.  Patience and persistence are linked in both their definition and application.  Anytime we engage them on our own they become lesser than they could be and lack the hand of God.  Patience and persistence on God's terms will bring about each other.  If we are patient in little things, our persistence gains confidence as well.  As we gain the patience of God we also gain the persistence of God.  As for God's persistence and patience just take a look at how patient and persistent he is as he waits to bless us.  Time and time again I have put off God as I thought my way would work better, result in better and give me the success I thought was what I wanted.  The only result was selfishness being built up in me.  Except for the grace of Jesus, I cannot even draw a breath.  Waiting on God in a persistent manner brings about blessings we have not even dreamed of.   So, the choice is our way or God's way.  I'll try to die to self and let God's way become my way today.