Patience is a Virtue

People make jokes about redheads and their fiery tempers.

I object!

Actually, I don't object. I'm a redhead with a fiery temper.

I've spent years trying to pretend that I'm a calm and rational individual. I can pull off the impersonation much of the time. And then every once in a while I just can't take it anymore. And I blow.

Like I said, it doesn't happen very often. But when it does, it's something to see.

David's family's favorite story happened a couple of years ago at Christmas time. We were having cousins pictures taken the day before my family left to celebrate in CA. We were all very stressed, the cousins did NOT cooperate, and my two year old niece was refusing to put her shoes on to walk to the car which was far across the parking lot.

Along came a well-dressed, possibly well-meaning woman. We thought she'd smile at us and tell us how cute all of our matching children were. She instead began to berate my pregnant sister-in-law for her poor parenting choices (the two-year-old without shoes in December) and lack of integrity. I don't remember how exactly it all went down. All I know was that one of my tribe was being attacked, and while I tried to remain calm, once she suggested she call DCFS on Cindee's sorry butt, I just couldn't take it anymore.

I blew. The lady walked into the photography shop behind us to escape our combined wrath and I followed her into the store. I got all up in her face, pointing at her repeatedly and according to my sisters-in-law, throwing my head around in a very impassioned way. I defended Cindee's honor, told the woman her indignation should have been kept to herself and that she had no right to question my sister-in-law's parenting.

I then stomped out of the store to join the rest of the clan on the sidewalk outside. They were a little dumbfounded. (Also, they'd called the police about being harassed. I don't lie.)

But that wasn't all. Well-dressed meanie lady walked past us as she left the store and I yelled, "AND HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS."

Ooooo boy.

I tell this story to prove that patience has not been one of my strongest virtues (and also to provide you with entertainment. I'm just glad there's no video.)

Hebrews 12: 5-6 says " And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."

Heavenly Father is the best teacher ever. He knows our weaknesses and he lets us have experiences (over and over and over) to chasten us, to strengthen those weaknesses. Sometimes we learn and grow and our weaknesses are strengthened, and then sometimes we follow a stranger into a store to scream at her.

This house-selling business has been testing my patience. Sometimes I feel like I'm learning quite well, and that I could continue the insecurity, the worry, the wondering for as long as the Lord sees fit. And sometimes I burst into tears...I'm just saying, it's not easy.

So the news is that we are under contract on this house. There's a story behind that, of course. But this weekend's story is this:

While getting ready for the inspection, we found some damaged drywall in our bedroom, thanks to a neighbor's broken sprinkler and the resulting flood earlier this year. After talking to our favorite contractor, we decided that we'd replace the drywall. (And by "we", I mean "David" and "Jeff" and "John". Thanks, guys.) Also, we decided to paint the outside of our sunroom because it was looking a little shabby. So we worked (and by "we," I mean "David.") Friday night until 3 am and all day Saturday. He took out a 4x4 foot section of drywall and cleaned the wall to the studs. He did a first coat of paint on almost all the sunroom. (He's amazing.) He was feeling good about being able to finish all the big projects by Monday night.

Saturday night at 8:00 we got a call from our realtor that the buyers want to have the inspection at 9:30 Monday morning.

So we considered working all day today to try to get ready. The ox is in the mire, isn't it? I mean, ISN'T IT?

But here's the thing. We've been blessed over and over and over again by minor miracles through the whole process. I guess I just don't doubt that Heavenly Father can pull off another one. So we're going to wake up early tomorrow and clean the disaster that is our house and see what we can manage with the wall and the sunroom paint.

And as I've said all along, if this move is meant to be, things will fall into place. If it's not meant to be, I guess we'll find that out after the inspection...

But, oh, I wish I were more patient. I want to know RIGHT NOW. RIGHT NOWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!

Sigh.