This is my second time writing a blog with this title, and for the sake of the occasion, I would like to pick up from my article a year ago. My daughter’s second birthday inspired me to write that article last year, and within a few days she will be turning three. I continue to be amazed at how each year goes by so swiftly! It reminds me of the dream my wife had before Payton was born, she had a baby in her arms and instantly the baby turned into a toddler, and it left my wife frantic wondering where her baby had gone! This may have been a glimpse from God showing us to always take one day at a time, and never rush her to get older! I’ve found myself in that mind frame, wishing she would hurry and get out of the sleepless night’s stage, that truly wore me out, but I have to say I already miss those times when she was an infant and had yet to learn to be sassy. I guess over the last year being a father has taught me to be more patient. I was inspired to write on the true Love of God last year, because being a father has given me a little insight on how Jesus loves His children! As I reflect over the course of the year, I’ve learned and contiune to learn patience! I realize it’s much easier to snap at your child, or whip your child than it is to keep your composure and talk them through things. One thing I’ve tried to do as a person is to be more patient with others! The spirit of longsuffering and patience! There are times we become so frustrated within ourselves because we have no control over the situation, and the easiest thing to do is snap, or get hateful, and say things we instantly regret. When it comes to my soon to be three year old, she has stretched my level of calmness to the brink on many occasions. There are times when I feel completely helpless and have no answer on how to handle a situation, it’s in that moment of frustration where I believe God has truly been trying to work on me! The terrible thing is sometimes, we are so nice and loving to complete strangers, and the very ones who hold the key to our heart are those who are on the wrong end when you become frustrated. I don’t believe that’s God’s way of handling frustrations of life, and I’m the first to admit he’s still working on me in this area. One thing I’ve learned over the last year is I cannot lose myself every time my daughter acts like a “2 yr old” I have come to the conclusion, and everyone’s theology is different in this area, but it’s most definitely easier for me to whop her on the behind when I’m angry than it is to get to the root of the problem and try and resolve it! Don’t believe I’m against whipping your child, I believe in it, but I feel the best way that God wishes for me to handle disciplining my child is with more patience! There is such a fine line with disciplining of children, and there are many books and methods out there, but for the sake of this being my article, I believe God has spoken to my spirit to simply have more patience. I believe this will always be something I will have to work on as a parent, but it also allows me to reflect on the patience of our Heavenly Father. I can only imagine how patient he truly is with us, and I’m sure there are times he becomes frustrated with us, and in his infinite wisdom -decides when to chasten us, only because HE loves us! Through out the Old Testament, God’s hand of patience and mercy was extended time after time to a group of stiff-necked Israelites, and at times God would have to pull back his hand of protection and allow them to fall! I believe his heart would ache when he would allow the enemy to come in and destroy the land, and destroy the people, but I believe God had no other choice! We reflect on today, and God still deals with stiff-necked people, but his hand of mercy and his patience is incomprehensible! His love for us gives us space to repent, and make things right, His long suffering towards us allows us to make mistakes without him consuming us. His grace and mercy allows us to live day by day without getting our due reward which is death. We have a father in Heaven who looks down on his children and chooses to be patient with us, and give us room to fall and get back up! To reflect on the love and patience of my Heavenly Father, it has really made me examine my own ways of being a father to Payton. I believe He is the ultimate example on how to be a parent, and I want to live my life daily, trying to be more like Him. If I could sum up this past year as a Father, I would have to say God wants us to be long suffering and more patient with not only our children, but also our spouses, brothers and sisters, co-workers, and everyone else that comes in and out of our lives. He wants us to love them, be quick to forgive and forget, always have an extended hand to help someone up when they fall, never write people off simply because they don’t meet your expectations, and remember God will reward us with the same judgement, that we give to others. That makes me always want to forgive, and be patient with everyone that has the tendency get on “our nerves.” I’m reminded of a childhood song that say’s “He’s still working on me, to make me what I ought to be…” That’s the beauty of the life of a child of God, as long as we allow him to keep us on the potters wheel, He will continue to shape and mold us into the person He wants us to be: We shall never attain perfection here on earth, but the pursuit of perfection will allow us to attain the spirit of excellency. I want to be the best I can be! I will leave you with a couple of scriptures that shows God’s indescribable nature! 

 
Psa 86:15    But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

Col 3:12-13   Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

God Bless, JDS