Although I didn’t want to admit this to myself, I used to be a pretty impatient person. Mind you, I was not quick to temper, and was, in fact, quite a laid-back person, but when there was something I sought after, I wanted it IMMEDIATELY. Perhaps the best example is within my writing career. When I first seriously began writing about 20 years ago, I wanted to be a good and well-received writer NOW. I didn’t want to go through the years or rejections, fine-tuning and learning about the actual craft. I had things to say boiling within me, and my sole desire was to put pen to paper, and of course, in my dreams, my adoring readers would embrace these as gold.

Well, God had something else in mind because He saw the bigger picture which I and my lack of patience did not. I did have to go through years of rejections, receiving correction from those who traveled that way before me, and in the process, I began to develop better patience as well as skill. Meager newspaper letters to the editor progressed to guest commentaries, which then grew to having my own column. One column blossomed in to another… and another, and then came magazine articles and appearances of my work on Web sites. The next hurdle was a book, which would be an undertaking that would take years to complete because just when I thought I would be done, I’d want to correct something, or change the wording of a sentence here or there. Then of course, there was another 1-2 years it would take to send my finally completed manuscript out for it to hopefully be accepted by a publishing house. I would have to wait months or longer for their responses.

Recently, my book hit the bookstores, and when I look back on this very long journey, I see that God used everything in my path to develop my lacking patience. Had He placed everything in my lap at once, I never would have been able to handle the responsibility. I am reminded of a fine wine that needs time to mellow and come to its peak taste.

How often in life are we all guilty of wanting what we want NOW without thinking about if that is what is truly best for us, and without putting forth the effort to work toward that goal?

The same can be true with our relationship with God. We may say we want to know God, and be closer to Him, but we want it to occur immediately, and we blame God for ignoring or abandoning us if what we ask for doesnt happen as fast as we would like.

My dear friends, we may be able to get a hamburger and milkshake in a flash through the drive-through window of a fast-food restaurant, but we must never forget that faith is ACTION. Our Creator requires us to USE our faith as a seed which blossoms and sprouts roots that will hold firm in the ground. And, just as all seeds require water and time to grow, so too do we need the living water of Gods word (the Bible) so that we can better understand God, His will, and what it is He requires of us. This is how our love for God deepens; because, the more we know Him, the better we love Him, and the better we love Him, the more our relationship with Him may grow.

Thankfully, we do not have to wait for God to come in to our lives. All we need do is invite Him into our hearts.

It may take time to read the Bible and to learn more about our faith, but we must take that first step by calling on God today.

Contributed by Melanie Schurr JoyfulMelanie@aol.com (Copyright (c)2005 Melanie Schurr) Melanie Schurr is author of “Ecstatic Living Ecstatic Loving: A Christian marriage manual and Life-guide,” “Son Salutations” and “Daily Contemplations,” which are a collection of read-one-a-day modern inspirations. For more information, visit www.MelanieSchurr.com