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February 21, 2008

Patience

Kat's topic for Parent's University is PATIENCE. - I decided to bring back the post!
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I've been learning a lot about patience. Please be patient as I explain.

Dictionary.com lists some great
- composure
-stability
- self-possession; submissiveness, sufferance

I surround my life with little people, that is preschoolers. I teach dance and gymnastics to all ages, but I have to say the 2-5 yrs old leave the biggest mark on me. Literally. They love to grab me , pull me, hang on me, tug on me, hug me (which is sweet, but not during the entire hour of class), wipe their nose and wipe it on me, cough on me, and my favorite... CRY on me. Tears. Drip, Drip, Drip. I have tried to learn from several groups of parents the appropriate cries of when to run over to them and care for them or when to act like it's no big deal as to give in to them because they are bored or tired.

Some would say, and I have agreed with them before, that this is great training for being a parent. BUT, I pray that I do not want give my kid away after ONE hour of being with them- which is how I feel with
most of the kiddos I teach.

So like I said, I have been learning a lot about patience.

Some weeks are better than others, however this week seems to top them all off. Monday's preschool class was full of uncooperative, crying little ones who RAN out the door with out even getting a STAMP! WOW! I must have been so evil! Tuesday morning, I went straight to the Bible.

Galatians 5: 19- 24:

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Key words that hit me in ALL the right places:

-out bursts of wrath
After you hear yourself call out a child's name 100 times you begin to go mad and have "out bursts of wrath." Sometimes, these stay inside, sometimes they come out. Now, I am not saying that I scream or get hot tempered, but I tend to clench my jaw and use silly threats like, "Do you want me to go get your mother and tell her you are not listening?" "Do you want me to tell her to take you home?" Unfortunately, to a 3 yr old, they do not understand threats. These tend to back fire, causing more out bursts of wrath, because in the sweetest voice on the verge of a cry, they respond with a , "yes." AHHH!

- selfish ambition
This is from my journal entry on Tuesday morning.

"* They don't do what I want them to do.
*
I'm afraid I will look bad in front of the parents (if I do not keep their kid participating and in line)
*
I don't really care if they are learning, I just want the class to be over."

Yes, it is horrible I know. But I have flesh and this is what it does.
I know that if I left them alone, they would not die, they would be just fine.
I know that eventually, they might see all the other girls having fun, stand up and participate.
I know that parents (hopefully) understand that I am in charge of 13 other kiddos and can not give one on one attention to some one who is not wanting to be there.

*At gymnastics this is hard to do because you have to spot each kid while others are
waiting their turn running around.... talk about stressful. All this while more advanced girls are flipping and landing and running in THEIR appropriate places.

Okay- the Good News :-) is that I see how I should live- through the Spirit.
I love that this version (NKJV) calls patience "longsuffering." I have hardly suffered long! Christ calls my name a gazillion times a day and I run around, sit down, pout, cry, and want to leave all the time! Talk about LONG SUFFERING and this with the entire world of disobedience.

So, with ALL that said, the rest of the week did go better. It was awesome to see how I was reminded of these verses at just the right time..... or just after. But, I was held accountable and for that I am thankful.
More to come, but not for now..... BE PATIENT!




5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love this post! It sounds like you are ready to have 5 kids of your own. Diesel will help prepair you for kids! I think kids will be a breeze after Chloe!
On a serious note, read the book Shepherding a Child's Heart by Ted Turner. It will be of great use for when you have kids but I think might help you with the children in your classes.
Oh and I think it is so cool that you teach gymnastics and dance. What kind of dance?

Diana said...

thanks for the book offer! I will for sure check it out.

Anonymous said...

Not to get too theological, but this last week in my Beth Moore study on the Fruit of the Spirit, I learned about two Greek words for patience. The first is "hupomone" which is patience in the midst of circumstances; it is inspired by hope ... such as hope that things will be better, etc. The second "makrothumia" is patience with people, inspired by mercy. This is the type of patience referred to in Galatians 5:22 ... look at how much God forgives us and showers us with mercy, and because of that He is patient with us. In a way, I can see where both of these apply to your dance classes ... wild circumstances, and yet, sweet, forgiveable little lives.

Diana said...

That is so true Yvonne, thank you. Things have going well. Still another hard week but better than last week. :-)

The Secret Life of Kat said...

Great post! I can really identify with the selfish ambition thing...