After Memorial Day, summer inevitably arrives. From the rising thermometer to the seemingly endless end-of-school-year events, the heat is on. Schedules that have controlled the last nine months are now in flux. Perhaps the annual vacation is just around the corner and a thousand things still need to be done. Or perhaps the rising gas prices have forced some changes in the vacation schedule. The grass is growing once again. The mower is acting up once again. All of this and more makes summer a time that is both longed for and dreaded. Sometimes it seems the one constant theme of summer is problems and more problems.
What to do?
Romans 8:28 encourages us that all things work together for good for those that love God and are called according to his purpose. This wonderful truth includes the often chaotic beginning of summer. This truth means that this summer you can start things off with a large helping of patience, because you know that God is at work for your good.
In Get Wisdom! Ruth Younts defines patience this way:
Patience is accepting problems without complaining, trusting that God will care for me.
Ruth then asks how you should think about problems in order to work at being patient. Here are some questions to ask when patience is needed:
Who is in control? God
Does God do good things or bad things for me? Good things.
Why does God make hard things happen to us? To train us for our good.
Is that good or bad? Good
Should you complain? No
When it seems too hard, what should you do? Pray and ask God to help you be patient.
These are good questions to ask your children. They are even better questions to ask yourself.