Volume 52: Rest in Patience

 

"At Camp Ozark, the work is hard and the days are long. We expect you to work hard but we also want you to have fun so when you are not working, you are able to try the different activities around camp. It is also very hot in Arkansas in the summer and you live in a cabin with about 12 other girls and share a bathroom. Is this all okay with you?" 

"Uh huh, my family is really special to me!"

And I could not help but laugh at the complete misunderstanding... And there we were, looking at each other, both genuinely smiling. 

For every support staff interview I do, there are at least 5 moments I wish everyone could be a fly on the wall to witness. 

The moments I have to pretend the wifi is messing up because they do not speak any English and I don't know how to move on...

The moments when I am waiting for them to answer a question, after they are muted, obviously having someone else in the room help translate for them... 

The moments when they answer "yes!!!" very enthusiastically to every question and statement I make...

Or even the moments of being told "hold on one moment please" to which she walks into her closest and brings out her pet hamster and states, "we appreciate the interview!!"

One could say I should probably just learn Spanish to make my life easier but then what fun would life be!! 

I find these moments beautiful - talking with a complete stranger, who speaks a different language, yet we are both laughing and trying so hard to understand one another. 

In real time, it probably took me longer to say that opening paragraph in the interview than it has taken y'all to read all of this up until now. Despite my natural abilities, I talk veryyyyyy slowly in these conversations, repeating myself, rewording my questions, and using my hands dramatically to help explain (not sure my version of charades actually makes any difference). 

These interviews have helped me develop patience - forcing me to slow down and  understand where they are coming from - terrified to be talking to some American pestering them with questions about some random summer camp. 

Let's face it, we've all had the moments of being frustrated when someone in our family asks "what?" and we have to repeat ourselves... sometimes to which I simply give a good ole "Ugh never mind!" 

It's in these small moments of our patience being tested that we grow our capacity to be patient in the bigger, more serious trials of our life. 

When I really think about it, patience is one of the fruits of the Spirit that I don't think about very often. Love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control are easier for me to grasp in my day to day life, mainly because you can typically identify them immediately. But how do you really recognize patience? What does it really mean to exemplify patience? Because so much of patience is enduring through a time, waiting.

As small as patiently waiting for your food at a restaurant to patiently waiting for community or a job or joy or feeling God's presence again. Despite our best efforts of becoming a culture of instant satisfaction, we will always spend so much of our lives waiting. 

Because guess what!!!! Isn't the whole Christian life a life of waiting?? Of waiting for our eternal home! Of waiting to meet Jesus! Of waiting to no longer be surrounded by sin and loss and hurt and pain! 

And those are all things to wait for amirite!! 

In this current season, I am longing to feel planted where I am. Longing to have strong community, whom I feel truly known by and do daily life with. Longing to feel purpose in the remote work I do. Longing for a partner to do life with and a family (one day ok). 

And there are many nights where I can get lost in my lies, believing that these things will never come. Getting frustrated that I feel like I am being faithful, yet still not seeing prayers answered. 

Lacking in patience. Wanting those things to just come to me. 

Yet, may I be challenged to remember that good things always take time. May I have hope and continue to learn to fully trust God's plan for my life, knowing that He works all things for my good. 

Last week, Andrew spoke at youth and dropped a TRUTH BOMB on us all - one that definitely probably went over the heads of middle schoolers. In my best attempt to recreate his wisdom, he said something along the lines of "Oftentimes the waiting is more of a gift than the answered prayer itself." 

So rather than seeing this season as a trial or low, I can choose to see it as a gift and an opportunity for growth! To be cultivated and rely more on God, as I am constantly reminded that I cannot do this life on my own. 

However big or small the testing of patience is, may I remember that the more I grow in patience, the better I am able to live a life waiting for what is to come, our permanent home. And that's what really matters!

Shoutout to Rock Creek youth! This time last year, I got a random call to go on this retreat and a year later, I am thankful to know these girls better and do life with them! We were there for less than 12 hours and I can tell you I was wornnnnn out.... Questioning how I do that every day all day for 2 months?? A great mystery! 

And second shoutout to Champion Cathy!! A wonderful woman of God who was willing to play pickleball with the young folks! And speaking of pickleball, Debbie and I also won a game as partners this week! Go us!!