Patience is a Virtue

Posted on by stevenlucht1

When I was little boy, I would sit at the top of the stairs, in complete anticipation. I waited for my dad to walk through the door when he was done with work. Before he came through the door, I would quickly put his slippers, aligned just right, on the stairs. All my dad had to do was slip right into the slippers and walk right up the stairs to greet me. He would pick me up with his large arms and always have the best greeting.  This was the best time of the day.

Waiting for my dad to get home was the hardest. I would keep looking out the window right around five o’clock to see if he had pulled in yet.

My family loves to go camping, and each year we would go camping at the same lake for years. As soon as we got there, I would ask my parents right away if we could get the boat in the water to do some water skiing or tubing. I would usually get the response to “just wait” or “be patient”. This didn’t really sit well with me.

As a young kid, I was always a “go, go, go” type person. Just ask my parents…. wait…. no, don’t ask them. Even so, I loved to explore and keep moving to the next fun activity or project.

…Our society lives off of this mentality…

We always want to create something to make our job go faster so we can work on the next project, and then have that go faster. It’s almost always about speed. Now don’t get me wrong, this can come with plenty of benefits, however, it can cause quite a strain in life too. We transfer this mentality into our daily lives.

“Be patient!” I don’t know about you, but I heard that plenty of times growing up. Patience, for the most part, does not come to us naturally. If you were to look up the word “patient” in the ESV bible, you would find 21 verses. The Bible expresses plenty of times on the importance of being patient.

  • Romans 8:25
  • II Corinthians 6:6
  • Galatians 5:22
  • Ephesians 4:1-2

Look them up! Don’t just skip reading the word of God. He teaches us that it is a good thing to wait. We may not see it, but it is!

How many times have you shown patience and good things come from it?  Almost always! Then, why don’t we actually practice this? We want what we desire ten minutes ago. We have no patience to wait for things in life. Whether it is with a relationship, a new job, moving or just that next step in life. We have a hard time waiting days, weeks, months, and sometimes even years until we know fully that good things will happen, if we wait.

I am currently seeing impatience ruin families, relationships, and ones relationship with God. We don’t like the idea that we have to wait, so we take our own initiative to rush our lives.

So then, what are we supposed to do when we wait? Isn’t it obvious? PRAY! God wants us to go to Him and express what is on our hearts.

God is trying to teach me right now to be patient. It hasn’t been easy. I have to pray that God gives me patience each day. If I don’t pray for patience, I end up over-thinking different areas of life and I tend to lose trust in God.

At the very beginning of each day, take and make time to spend at least five to ten minutes in prayer. Ask God for patience in specific areas of your life. Have people in your life that can encourage and strengthen you in being patient. Don’t fight your desires on your own.

Above all, focus on the One
who loves you beyond life itself.
He WILL bless you in being patient on His will.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trust in the Next Chapter…

Posted on by stevenlucht1

Everyone has heard someone say that we need to trust in the Lord. It so much easier said than done. Countless times my trust in God crumbles underneath me and I try so hard to take situations into my own hands.

It’s so easy to trust in God through the easy times and when everything seems to be going the way you want. However, once we hit a rough patch, it seems like our trust flies out the window and we grab the wheel of our life in desperation try to save ourselves.

Last week Sunday was a start of a bad week… It began with a few bad conversations with people and a lack of sleep. My frustrations alone made me more frustrated creating a circle of destruction. I looked at areas of my life and lost complete trust in God, even though I know full well that God is working in those areas. By Wednesday, I wrestled with God still in my own frustrations and failing to see that He was continuing to provide, even when I refused to see it. It wasn’t until I realized that I was trying to take control over my life and lost my trust in God that I gave it back to Him. It’s funny how a seven year old little girl at an Awana club can get you out of a bad week.

Something that helped me gain my trust back in God, was looking back at the miracles that He performed in my life. God has intricately placed the most minute details in place that eventually changed my entire life in a different direction. It’s been an amazing ride and in those times that I have trusted most in God, some of the biggest changes came about.

We need to trust in God to move us to where He wants us. You can not trust in God if you are not into your Bible and in constant prayer with God.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.”
~Proverbs 3:5~

“Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.”
~Isaiah 26:4~

The Next Chapter:
I absolutely couldn’t be happier where God has me in life. The biblical teachings and the spiritual leadership that surrounds this area is absolutely amazing. It seems like God is providing more than I can see. This excites me more than anything.

As I keep turning my pages over in life I reach yet another exciting chapter. God has lead me to become summer staff at Living Waters Bible Camp again this summer. My excitement for the day the summer staff has to be down there is heart pounding. Knowing that lives are going to be changed and to be a part of that is an honor and a privilege.

Talking with some other summer staff that will also be down there only increases this excitement. It’s not only the campers lives that will be changed but also our lives. I look forward to having the opportunity to serve side by side with my family in Christ to serve God and grow with our Heavenly Father.

My prayer requests are simple but so important. Please pray that our hearts are prepared to be down to Camp. That we focus completely on why we are down there in doing the Lord’s work. Help us have a strong trust in God in our lives inside and outside of being down at Living Waters. Trust that God will work His miracles, and use us for increasing His kingdom with giving it all to Him.

I thank you so much for the prayers and support.

God is Good!

The End of the Beginning…

Posted on by stevenlucht1

Words do not really describe the end of the summer. Looking back on all the memories with the other staff and with all the campers. It’s crazy to think that it’s over. I remember one of the first nights, I looked over at one of my fellow summer staff, and told him that this summer was going to be the greatest summer ever. This summer exceeded every expectation I could have put in place for it.

Needless to say I more than miss this summer. It felt that it went by way to fast. So many opportunities to share the love of Christ. I love what God has done down here at camp. Not only do those who come down to camp as campers become impacted but also the staff here as well. I am more than blessed to have had the opportunity to come down here and serve.

I want to thank those who are continuing to pray for me and that have been an amazing encouragement on my life. You are definitely apart of my family and I cherish those who have been challenging me and encouraging me in my walk with Christ.

God has challenged me in a few areas this summer. The biggest area God reached out to me was my trust toward Him. So many times I have been taught in my life that we need to take care of ourselves and make sure we have things under control… I highly disagree. The more I have trusted in Christ this past summer the more He revealed Himself to me.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart,and do not lean on your own understanding”
~Proverbs 3:5~

“Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.”
~Isaiah 26:4~

So many times this summer, and partially before, God kept telling me to just trust in Him. I kept failing at trying to do things myself and I had enough. Life runs so much smoother and easier when we truly put all our trust in Him. A lot of times, I had to just shut up and listen to what He was trying to tell me. It gets too noisy when we keep worrying about what’s next. The peace comes when we trust in God and let HIM work the miracles in our lives.

The second thing that God taught me is essentially that I am not going to understand why everything happens. I have so often tried to understand why things are going on but truly will never understand.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
~Isaiah 55:8-9~

There are something that happen in life that we are just not going to understand. THAT’S OKAY! We just need to keep in mind who is in control of all things. If we understood everything in this world it would defeat the purpose of having a god because we know all things. It goes back to the first thing God has taught me this summer, in that we need to just trust in Him and allow Him to do the work.

Again, it’s hard knowing the summer is over and most of the staff are gone. I am now back down at camp after a long weekend of traveling through several states. It’s so exciting to see where God is going to bring me next in life. The less I worry about life the more exciting it is to look at God and say “I’m ready!”.

Prayer requests:

  • A possible job opportunity has been in sight for a while down here near camp as a police officer. I would very much appreciate the prayers that I could get this job, but above all that God’s will is done.
  • For camp to get some more help during these next couple of months since most of the summer staff are gone and more guest groups keep coming in.