Patience is...

Patience is... 

Annoying? Impossible? Frustrating? A struggle? A virtue? 

Pretty sure my opinion of "patience" has covered all of these descriptors-- and more. I have never been a very patient person (Ahem, see yesterday's post...) 

Seriously, as a little girl, I didn't just want things to happen now, I wanted them to happen yesterday... HURRY UP! The most dreaded words coming out of my Mama's mouth (then and to this day) rivaled "Wait until your father gets home" in the form of "You are just going to have to wait and see..." followed by "Patience is a virtue." 

NOooooooooooo!! I don't wanna wait and see. Patience as a virtue is overrated.  I really want to know now. Deal with it. Get on with things. Seriously. I have a to do list to do here people. 

Fortunately, God has done a work on my heart over these last (almost) 26 years... and I have mellowed out-- some. (It depends on my mood and ability to focus on Him.) Our society doesn't help with the "patience" issue either-- especially when it comes to our generation. Everything is fast and instantaneous-- "Instant results!" "Download now!" "Immediate satisfaction!" "Do you want fries with that? Please pull around." 

So about this patient heart work situation... Just last Friday, I was running a bunch of errands that I had been putting off (the masters paper writing had taken precedence) After spending a morning making miscellaneous phone calls, doing financial-ly things at home, it was time to tackle my outside list of things to do. 

Interestingly enough, all of my errands required waiting in lines... At the vet's office, at the army hospital pharmacy, at the bank, at Sonic (Ok that wasn't an errand per-say, but it was happy hour. I desired a Diet Dr. Pepper with Vanilla. But I digress.) 

Fortunately, I had resolved myself to RELAX and not be so uptight about the whole line waiting situation. The combination of the phrase "Ruthlessly eliminate hurry" that I heard from a co-worker a couple of months ago (that he got from a book) and the servant evangelism/kindness lessons I have learned last semester in school helped me to enjoy my errands. I had no where to go that evening but home, and Brandon was going to be working a little later than normal.  I hoped to bring a little bit of un-grumpiness to the clerks I was dealing with. Let me explain. 

There was only one lady working at the vet clinic desk. I was "second" in line and just needed to pick up heartworm/flea meds for the baby dog. Instead of fidgeting and scowling and being short with the clerk for "forcing" me to wait, I intentionally SMILED at her and made eye contact. After she looked at me like I had 7 eyes and the shock of someone polite and (pseudo) patient-ish wore off, she seemed less stressed. 

As I was driving from the vet to the army hospital pharmacy, I started mulling over about patience... and was determined to keep it going, even with obnoxious traffic. The REAL test happened when I showed up at the pharmacy. It was my first experience at the hospital pharmacy and HOLY CHEESE AND CRACKERS. Pretty sure that eleventy billion people were sitting in the chairs at the pharmacy with their "numbers" waiting to be called. I took a deep breath, reminded myself that again, I had no where to go, took my number and grabbed a seat. 

I think when I arrived they were on 237. My number was 283. And they were also throwing some 600 and 800 level numbers in there. About 45 minutes later, I made it to the counter to give them info to transfer a prescription from Fort Riley. After I finished, the lady looked up with terror in her eyes (literally) and squeaked out in a scared voice "Um, you do know that you can't get this prescription today right? We have to transfer it then get it ready next week." 

Not quite sure what she expected me to do... It wasn't a life threatening medication-- just an inhaler for my blessed asthma that I need in the "cold" months for running. The way the pharmacist was acting, you would have thought she was prepared for me to either 1) have an emotional breakdown, kicking and screaming there in the floor, tears and all 2) run out the door hysterically screaming 3) shank her. 

Fortunately for all parties involved, chose option #4, none of the above. I patiently replied "Yep, I know. I called ahead to check how the process worked and just wanted to get the ball rolling. So it will be ready early next week then?" 

The look on her face was a mixture of shock, relief and glee. Someone of my generation, showing grace and patience to her... not shooting the messenger. It honestly kind of saddened me that we have set the standard for negative reactions when it comes to being patient. I still stink at being patient sometimes too... but it's one of those God things-- he's gonna grow me and shape with me opportunities to be patient. 

I don't write these things to condemn... but rather to encourage. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." (Galatians 5:22) One of the attributes of our awesome God is PATIENCE... He patiently waits on us to screw up, try to fix things ourselves, get frustrated, screw up again, THEN finally submit and turn to Him. If our God is that patient with us all the time, shouldn't we extend the same grace, love and kindness to those around us? 

Stop for just a second today and think... Do you need to be more patient? Ask God to help you with it (but be prepared that he isn't going to snap his fingers and make you patient, but rather give you opportunities to engage patience.) 

How can you extend Godly patience to someone in your life? Maybe a spouse or child? Or a supermarket clerk? A secretary on the phone? Perhaps that person in traffic that cut you off. Extend the grace, mercy, love and PATIENCE that God has already extended to you... Because after all, patience is... well, you can fill in the blank.  

Patiently waiting for patience, 

SGK 

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." -Colossians 3:12

A Butterfly Year

We've been married one year yesterday.

WAWHOO!!! One down, somewhere between 49 and 74 more years to go!! :-) Now, for all you anti-romantics out there, don't go sipping that haterade too early... This isn't gonna be a gushy, mushy, so-sticky-sweet-that-it-seeps-through-your-screen-and-ruins-your-computer post about how much I love my beloved Brandon and how lucky I am to have him in my life (although I do and I am!)

Instead its going to be almost practical. (Or at least that is what I am shooting for.)

Marriage is... interesting. For all of my married friends, you can probably attest to that. For my single readers, buckle up. You are in for an adventure!

My present to my beloved... Not to fry
turkeys... but to boil his malt & hops
for his home brew. Apparently, its a
new Knobloch hobby. 

As I was reflecting on this past year, I wanted to come up with a single word to describe it. But words like happy, romantic, awesome, lovey-dovey (that's one word-- the hyphen doesn't count,) sweet and educational didn't quite cut it.

In one word, the first year of marriage for us has been TRANSFORMATIONAL.

It was a growth opportunity for both of us. And not the kind of "growth opportunity" that I reference when something was a total nightmare and I am just trying to be optimistic. Rather, we have truly GROWN this year-- not only as a husband and wife, but also as Christians.

We based our marriage on 1 John 4:18-- "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." Thanks to trusting the Lord, this transformational year has certainly been that: transformational.

Brandon and I were talking the other day about how God has changed both of us and Brandon used the word "metamorphosis." I don't know where exactly we are at in our metamorphosis as a couple-- I am hoping that we aren't one of those scary awkward caterpillars with the horns and huge eyes, but I also know that while it has been a "Butterfly" of a year, we aren't quite at the beautiful, soaring butterfly state yet. Not sure if we are still wiggling around in our cocoon or if we are a baby butterfly with wet wings... but check back with us in the year 2060 and hopefully we will be in our optimum soaring state.

God has transformed our hearts by placing changes in our physical lives that we have had to work through (think: butterfly struggles to get out of the cocoon... but all that work makes it STRONG! Same for our marriage)

"Physical" transformational gifts God has presented in the last 365 days 

(which resulted in A LOT of Spiritual transformation):

• October 2, 2010: WEDDED BLISS!! Depart for honeymoon in Rome, Italy.
• November 2010: He called me to go back to school and get my masters.
• January 2011: Brandon leaves for Drill Sgt School
• March 2011: I fly out to SC to see Brandon graduate DS School
• April 2011: I resign from a job I love as we prepare to leave our home and head to Georgia.
• May 2011: We arrive in Georgia. Just the two of us. Zero friends present. Adopt a puppy.
• June 2011: God leads us to Christ Community Church and Brandon begins his first full cycle as Drill Sgt.
• July 2011: I beg Kelli to let me serve somewhere within the church; I become her intern. Gradually start making friends.
• August 2011: Cycle graduation. I start blogging. We start praying specifically for people daily. God is working overtime on our hearts.
• September 2011: Our prayer life grows. I become FRG leader for Foxtrot company. CCC Women's retreat. More profound transformation.
• October 2, 2011: Happy Anniversary to us. Thanks, God!

Our cake tastes even better than last year!
Or at least I am able to slow down
and taste it this time. 

He calls me "Lover." I call him "Beloved." We have eaten our year-old wedding cake. (Don't worry-- it was in the freezer, and I think the sugar got even more concentrated. YUM) We have exchanged gifts. But most of all, we have been transformed by Christ teaching us how to base our marriage on Him, the unchanging, everlasting solid rock on which we stand. For then next 49ish years (or however long God keeps us on this earth) we pray that God, through His grace, will make each year a "Butterfly year" and transform our minds by living out the instructions from the word: 

"Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands.

Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ's love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They're really doing themselves a favor—since they're already "one" in marriage." --Ephesians 5:22-28 (MSG)

Serious husband points. Thanks Brandon!
You are kind of my favorite... <3 

Thank you to everyone who has prayed, pep-talked, cheered for us, supported us, ministered to us and loved on us, even from a distance over the last 365 blessed and PRECIOUS days. GOD IS SO GOOD! Praise Him! We are beyond blessed and incredibly undeserving to have a Christ-like marriage that is "More Precious than Rubies..." 

Here's to many more Butterfly years! 

Loving our cocoon, 

SGK 

"Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned." --Song of Solomon 8:6-7

Amazing Grace-centered Living: How Sweet the Sound!

As you might have noticed, God has been tugging on my heart A LOT lately about grace. Ironically, the following post was a discussion board prompt I submitted dealing with grace-centered vs. law-centered living and ministry last week... It has been "edited" a bit for bloggity-ness, but hope it gets your wheels a-turning! ~SGK

************************* 

“He’s still working on me… to make me what I ought to be. It took him just a week to make the moon and the stars, the Sun and the Earth and Jupiter and Mars. How loving and patient He must be… 
'Cause He's still workin' on me.”

I grew up listening to this song via cassette tape, and as I was reflecting on this prompt, I realized that my grace-based living is a direct result of God’s grace and continual work on both my heart and ministry. Don’t get me wrong—I do believe there is a place for law in this world, living by the Ten Commandments for example, but I am in no way in a position to enforce that law or judge someone because of their choices. A sin is a sin and let’s be honest, we are all pretty big ol’ sinners.

For many years I have “ unofficially” ministered people through the challenges of life by providing impromptu pep talks, support and love. As I have grown closer to Christ over time and recently realized my call to ministry, I know that grace-based living is a must for myself as a Christian. I have just started an internship at Christ Community Church under an incredible SERVE director. Part of my (future) responsibility includes presenting and coaching people to discover their Spiritual gifts. In that process we talk about “Life Experiences,” and I know I can’t judge them for what they have done or where they have been. I am not the rule enforcer. I can, however, speak the truth in love, offering guidance on the law, yet still extend to them the same grace God has so graciously given me. As it says in Romans 6:14 “For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.” That is powerful reassurance for my choice of grace-based living. Can I get an AMEN? 

Grace-based living has a significant impact on my relationship with God and others. Not only am I attempting to model my life after Christ (I fall short ALL the time) but I am also praying for those I am serving to extend grace to me when I make a mistake or fall into sin. Living “gracefully” opens more doors to spread the Good News. God’s grace is free and undeserved—so why should my grace on others be any different? Being a Christian isn’t about checking things off of a To Do list via laws, rules and regulations. Rather it is holding ourselves to a Christ-like standard, and embracing God’s Amazing Grace whenever we (and others) fall to sin.

One of the most positive aspects of grace-centered living focuses on my leadership expectations of others and myself. It allows me to revel in God’s grace and attempt to grasp this extraordinarily generous and vast concept. By doing so, my heart can be filled with the sincerest of passion, love and words to share with others about this free and wondrous gift that is available to them as well. Centering my life and ministry on grace boosts my credibility and relational capacity with others… we are all sinners, in the same boat, praying to have faith to walk on water towards the ultimate, heavenly, graceful judge in Jesus Christ.

So yes, He is still working on me. I am a wretch, once lost and now found, and it is all because of his amazing, remarkable, generous grace. I pray that my ministry will flow by his graceful means, extending it to others that I lead. My strength for grace-based living is said well in Galatians 2:21… “I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

Daily Deliberation: In what ways has God extended Grace to you today? Do you believe you show grace to others at the desired level? How can you continue to grow your ability to extend grace?

By His Grace,

SGK

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world. but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather thing of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." -- Romans 12:2-3