Friday night I went to watch the highschool's production of "Joseph and the Amazing, Technicolor Dreamcoat". And it was truly amazing. I haven't laughed that hard in a long, long time :)
photo by Warren Thiessen Copyright 2004

Patience is what comes...

It was a song by Bleach that got me thinking on a topic for the day. Actually it's a topic that's been on my mind a fair bit lately. Patience. *waits* he he. Man, I need something I can record my thoughts with on the spur-of-the-moment during the day, 'cause I did a lot of thinking about this one, and a bit of reading, and now I can't remember half of it.
How does a person develop patience? It doesn't seem to follow the same rules as other things that need developing. For instance, hard times might develop courage, character, etc., but waiting does not seem to develop patience, it only seems to make me more impatient. I've heard people say to have patience you just need to trust God...know that he's in control, and that his timing is best. Well, that's great. I know that, and I believe it, but that doesn't make waiting for something any easier, it doesn't seem to make me any more patient. Maybe I'm impatient beacuse I've become used to everything being done quickly. When I run a race, I want to be the fastest. When I use my computer, it has to be fast. When I ride my bike, I go as fast as my legs will take me, even if it means being nice and sweaty by the time I get to work. So when I have to wait 2 weeks for some pictures to come in the mail, or a month to move into my house, or seemingly an eternity to meet the right girl, I get a little impatient (and Heinrich, waiting for my house doesn't bother me at all...it's just something I'm really looking forward to...take all the time you need :) Maybe it's not so much the waiting for something to happen that gets to me, but the fact that it's usually something out of my control. Maybe it's not really impatience at all, but just being so excited for something to happen that it's hard to wait. 'Impatience' just seems like such a bad word, and 'patience' like something so hard to come by...something that only people who have it all together would have. Maybe impatience is only a bad thing when it makes you worry.
Anywhoos, it's way past my bedtime and I'm rambling...my brain is crying out for rest. Before I hit the sack, there are two poems that have become pretty special to me that I wanted to post here. One is Bleach's song 'Patience' from the album Astronomy, and the other is Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 from the Bible. Here are the lyrics to the song:

"Patience" by Bleach
"patience only comes when you spend your time just waiting
you're the only one that's worth the wait I think you're great
and writing melodies sometimes seems to ease all the junk that's built up inside
patience is what comes when you spend your time just waiting
listening for the phone, hoping that I'll get a call
maybe from some friends wondering how I've been
wondering if we all could hang out //

bring back the good times
i think that that would be just fine
bring back the good times

patience won't you come, 'cause oh I feel like life's suspended
i've have not become the thing that I have so intended
put my mind at ease
and I'll write melodies
i'll sing songs of hope that's to come

i won't embrace the things that i have done
patience waits for what we will become
and it's so much more i know
that it's so worth waiting for"


And here's Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:
There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven-
A time to give birth, and a time to die
A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted
A time to kill, and a time to heal
A time to tear down, and a time to build up
A time to weep, and a time to laugh
A time to mourn, and a time to dance
A time to throw stones, and a time to gather stones
A time to embrace, and a time to shun embracing
A time to search, and a time to give up as lost
A time to keep, and a time to throw away
A time to tear apart, and a time to sew together
A time to be silent, and a time to speak
A time to love, and a time to hate
A time for war, and a time for peace.

So God's got it all under control. And I shouldn't worry about it. And maybe I shouldn't psych myself up so much for all the good stuff that's left to come in life. I have a long history of doing that... I used to make a count-down calender for Youth Quake every year that started in September, and went until the end of February. For half a year I would count down the days! Craziness. Anywhoos, I'd better get to sleep...looking forward to tomorrow :) p.s. anyone know how many days there are left until Christmas? :)

In One Eye, Out the Other

Ever read something that you know you've read before, but you had either totally forgotton it, or missed it completely in the first place? I'm still plugging away at making it through the Old Testament, and I've read it all a few times before, but I must have been asleep for at least half of it. Certain parts of my memory are not particularly great either, and this only adds to the frustration. Anywhooos...today I was reading in 1 Samuel 3, where Samuel hears God talking to him in his sleep. Now any kid who has ever been to sunday school has heard the story a dozen times, but I don't think they've ever heard the whole story...or at least I haven't. Nobody ever tells the part of the story where it says what God actually said to Samuel. We tell it til the end of verse 10.."Then Samuel said, 'Speak, for your servant is listening'". Now that's all fine...it's got some universal application we can learn from...especially since the Hebrew word translated 'hears or listening' gives the idea of complete attention to the speaker, and also of obedience or action. But I wanted to know what God actually said to Samuel. I don't ever recall hearing or reading about it. I thought maybe it was just one of those details that are left out. But it's not. God said to Samuel "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears it tingle"...hmmm sounds interesting to me...."At that time I will carry out everything aagainst Eli everything I spoke against his family - from beginning to end. I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them"
Whoa. Maybe that's why no one ever mentions it to the kids in sunday school. Samuel finds out that the guy who raised him is going to loose his sons because of something nasty they did. Then, to make matters worse, Samuel has to deliver the news to Eli himself. I like the way Eli handles it though...he could have easily been angry with God for punishing him for the sins of his sons, but he recognizes God's sovereignty and says "He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes."
So what about you guys? Do you ever read or hear something and think "I must have heard that before" and are then to embarassed to say anything? It happens to me all the time. Especially in the stuff we're doing in Bible classes right now...the Old Testament survey...I come across stuff all the time that I had absolutely no clue was in the Bible. It's a good thing I guess...I'm learning so much stuff...once I can get past the pride that says "I've been a Christian for years...I should know that by now!" :)

Test run of the Terrible Tricycle Trials Course of Doom. To see the real kids in action, click here! Talk about a fun night! I'm pretty tired now. Cya.
photo by Warren Thiessen Copyright 2004