There is definitely something to be learned from the old green man. Something I'm learning more and more is that patience is key. When I realize that I don't have something I need, I demand to have it that moment. The virtue is definitely necessary if you want to lead a fruitful life, and it is something that I'm currently lacking. I've noticed that the more often that you think about something good, the more often that you realize that you don't have that thing. When people talk about how to lead a good prayerful life, I instantly think of the mornings and afternoons that I haven't talked. Part of it may be the way my brain works, because when I hear 'covalent bonds' (something we're currently studying in Chemistry) I think of butterscotch candies.
Something about teaching a class must make you want to see how miserable you can make students over a test. Because I took one a few days ago, my teacher has only graded four. So, she decided to show those happy four their test results while I am pulling my hair out in the background. The same will definitely be true of my Chemistry test that I have tomorrow, which I should be studying for right now. Except that teacher likes to wait until she finishes grading everybody's test, which takes approximately two weeks. Obviously, for someone who is not patient, this is agonizing.
I would love to tell you that I have the solution to the whole 'patience problem,' but I would, in fact, be lying. The best solution that I can come up with is: pray. I have a prayer journal that I write in every day, and I write all my anxieties, prayers, and accomplishments in it. Sometimes the whole entry is spent talking about how someone scared me that day(I scare really easily), but others I spend my whole thing talking about questions or observations from the Bible, which I read right before I go to bed.
Another solution is to read the Bible. There are so many plans online to read the Bible in a year, and it's just as simple as pressing the 'print' button on your computer. And, of course, holding yourself responsible. I forgot to read the Bible on the first three days of the year: I spent the next three reading twice as much as I was assigned which is really overwhelming. Isn't that sad? The beginning of the year is supposed to be when you hold yourself responsible to keeping your New Year's resolutions, yet that was when I was least faithful. Like I said, my brain works in a very.... unique way, to state it simply.
And if you are reading the Bible through, I have some advice: take your time. I try to just get through it, but I've started learning so much more about the Bible! Small anecdotes that I never noticed before make a world's difference to me, even when they are things that I would normally skip over. Reading over Lot's story, I've been shocked at the bluntness of it. Over all, I realized that not all Bible characters are just in three categories: pure and blameless in God's sight, evil, and just kinda bad. There are wonderful Christians that aren't perfect. Even David had Bathsheba, and God loved him dearly. It just kind of makes me feel slightly better about myself, that I don't need to be perfect for God to love me.
It's easy to put requirements on religions. "For God to love you, you must do....." and it's also easy to believe. When people say "You have to pray every day, or you won't go to heaven," there are some types of believers that will start praying for hours every day in the hope that God will look favorably on them. Now while I don't believe such requirements as that, there are times when I am tempted to. As humans, I think that we kind of like having something to do, some way to earn our salvation.
God won't love you more if you do something, He loves you unconditionally. Whether you attack somebody(not recommended) or pray for hours every day, if you are still a believer He loves you. So do I! :)
~Hannah
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