Be Patient...Do Not Complain

~~~Third Sunday of Advent~~~

 ~~Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10 ~~Psalm 146~~ James 5:7-10~~Matthew 11:2-11~~

Be patient...
Do not complain...

 Be patient and do not complain...a farmer may
understand patience better than any of us.
The plow, plant, and wait.
They eagerly wait for the first tiny sprig of green to erupt from the dirt.
When the tiny sprig brings forth the first two
 green leaves they do not complain.
Instead they are even more joyful because they know
a new crop has taken root.

Waiting is hard but the results can be so rewarding in the end.
Complaining is sometime productive and even necessary,
but for the most part complaining just causes ill feelings.

When people do not live up to our expectations
it is far better to be patient with them
 than to harp on them and batter them with fiery complaints.
Complaints and criticisms are like little darts flying all around you.
Complaining just puts the other person on the defensive
and neither party can move forward.

 

 

What did you go out to the desert to see?

When we set our own expectations we set ourselves p to be disappointed.

In the desert God has the chance to surprise us.
God can show us things about ourselves that we never dreamed possible.
The desert is desolate and barren, but God
works wonders in the most austere environment. 

God does not rely on beautiful lush surroundings;
they are mostly for appearances. 

In the desert whatever happens is awesome because it is not expected.

This is the day of joy because
one came from the desert proclaiming the Messiah.
Out of the dry parched desert setting
came the most important message of our salvation. 

 

Be patient because the unexpected is filled with blessings for you.