Battling Impatience.

I was able, thanks to my sweet husband, to have some time away this afternoon and steep my mind in the word of God. I took my bible, some Spurgeon and the book Future Grace, by John Piper. I was greatly refreshed and encouraged by this time. I took Future Grace because I specifically wanted to read the chapter called "Faith in Future Grace vs. Impatience", because I know I have been battling this sin in my heart regarding our adoption, our future plans for ministry, and some other just daily areas with my children, etc. Piper says, "Impatience is a form of unbelief. It's what we begin to feel when we start to doubt the wisdom of God's timing or the goodness of God's guidance. It springs up in our hearts when our plan is interuppted or shattered. It may be prompted by a long wait in a checkout line or a sudden blow that knocks out half our dreams. The opposite of impatience is not a glib denial of loss. It's a deepening, ripening, peaceful willingness to wait for God in the unplanned place of obedience, and to walk with God at the unplanned pace of obedience - to wait in his place, and go at his pace." (pg.171) He then goes on to give a glimpse of the lives of some faithful people of God who waited upon the Lord with faith though they endured great trials. One such person was Benjamin B. Warfield (a world-renowned theologian who taught at Princeton Seminary for almost 34 yrs). At the age of 25 he married and went on his honeymoon to Germany with his wife, Annie. His wife was suddenly struck by lightening and became permanantly paralyzed. He cared for her for 39 years, rarely leaving his home for more than a few hours at a time. Warfield made this statement regarding Romans 8:28, "The fundamental thought is the universal government of God. All that comes to you is under His controlling hand. The secondary thought is the favour of God to those who love Him. If He governs all, then nothing but good can befall those to whom He would do good...Though we are too weak to help ourselves and too blind to ask for what we need, and can only groan in unformed longings, He is the author in us of these very longings...and He will so govern all things that we shall reap only good from all that befalls us." If he could hope in God with such difficult circumstances surely my heart can cling to God in faith that he will do all things for the good of our family. I also came upon Isaiah 64:4: "From of old they have not heard nor percieved by ear, neither has the eye seen a God besides Thee, who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him" Oh what a promise to meditate on! There was many more rich thoughts in this chapter so if you have the book read it yourself. I think it also encouraged me that impatience has much deeper roots than I can at first percieve. I am excited to see God's work in my heart already and long to know that kind of patience linked to faith in God, a "deepening, ripening, peaceful willingness to wait for God in the unplanned place of obedience, and to walk with God at the unplanned pace of obedience". If you want to listen to the sermon that goes over jsut about the same things as the chapter, click here: http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/1988/659_Battling_the_Unbelief_of_Impatience/ As far as how the adoption is going we were supposed to get fingerprinted Saturday, but, due to a family funeral we hadn't planned on, had to reschedule it. We were told we could come the following Wed (this Wed.) and make it up since it was a family emergency. So hopefully things will go smoothly and we will have that done with.