Cheri Strange, Christian Speaker and Author

    Sunday I taught our small group Bible study class of young marrieds using the book of Galatians. We are going through the One Year Bible, selecting passages that come throughout the week. Because we were blazing through the book of Galatians in about seven or eight days, I decided to give an overview and finish with the Fruit of the Spirit -- you know: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Those.... We talked about each, with special emphasis on our favorite....patience: longsuffering with difficult people. 

     We concluded the lesson with a specific prayer that we would spend more time with the Lord to develop these aspects from the Spirit --- as well as OPPORTUNITIES to exibit them.  What was I thinking???? 

     I should have known what was coming. Even before I arrived at the church to teach the lesson one daughter tried to wear a dress in which everyone could see ALL of her top undergarment --- which was a bright white with flowers --- and just couldn't understand why Mom wasn't excited about this choice.  I sent her back to change....  Another daughter had a bloody nose all the way to church (once we got on the road -- NOT before...)  Why would I be suprised that Sunday afternoon I received an e-mail from, yet another daughter's teacher, assigning homework due the next class meeting --- which she has now done THREE out of FOUR weekends this year. 

     This morning, on my way to deal with this practice in longsuffering in front of my daughter, I accidentally backed my car into the garage door. (A first for me). No matter I can't even SEE the garage door aroung the mamoth vehicle required for trasporting a large family --- we were now stuck inside the garade and the clock was ticking....school would begin soon. What do to? Hubby was taking two daughters elsewhere and would not be around to release us from the garage prison. So I did what any resourceful mom could do, trying to live a Spirit-filled life. I grabbed a hammer and began whacking.  If the doors must be replaced anyway, a few hammer indentions can't hurt it. Right? 

     Many whacks later, I was a sweaty mess --- but we were released from the garage, and the door, once again, went on its tracks into the celing. I got in the car with my speechless children and began the 50 minute drive to classes. Now I'm faced with a choice. How do I respond to this New opportunity to be long-suffering in front of my girls? Do I burst into tears -- scream and yell --- and completely fall to pieces in anger and frustration for the events of the morning? No. That's not an option. I must do something else -- something that will demonstrate the right way to handle such an unlikely situation that was clearly and completely MY fault. The prayers began in my head because I can't do that on my own.

     I've learned that waiting a moment before responding helps. In a few minutes I began to talk about it and try to think of some positive element with which to enlighten them on the proper way to handle it. However, the release  came from my girls in the back of the SUV.  As I confessed my feelings of embarrassment and regret for not opening the correct garage door in the first place --- all my girls could talk about was one thing, "Mom, we are so impressed with how you whacked that door back! We couldn't believe you could get that big dent back in where the door would open! We thought we were stuck for sure! WoW!Aren't you glad you have been doing your Zumba workouts?"

     Now I'm laughing. I'm laughing because God took care of the enlightenment of how to handle the maddening situation by two young girls. And I'm also laughing, because I think they are right about the Zumba.  

     Onto the final known opportunity to grow in experience for demonstrating long-suffering today: the teacher. Again in front of a daughter, I spoke with the teacher, explaining what I needed to explain in a kind tone and gentle spirit --- (NOT my first instinct or inclination). Apparently, Proverbs is right when it declares, "a kind word turns away wrath." The teacher was gracious and responsive to my concerns. 

     These are not huge life-impacting moments. I have been in situations requiring much more serious Spirit-filled responses. But these are real. It's the stuff we face almost every day. These are the fruit-building exercises God places before us regularly. Our responsibility is to prepare for them in our moments with Him ---unaware of the frustrations of the day before us -- and let the evidence of the time spent with him ooze out of our very existence.

     How might the Spirit ooze out in your experiences today?