Day 28: It Takes Time

"A delay is not a denial from God."

I am glad that was written on the last page of this chapter as a reminder to myself that I need patience as I grow in my walk with God. Often I find myself frustrated because I feel so far from where I want to be, but as the last page also said, "Remember how far you've come, not just how far you have to go."

I know God has a plan for me. I also know that my decision to go back to church, to start spending time with God and learning more about His purpose for my life does not mean that I am instantly where I should be in terms of my spiritual growth. I have a lot of work to do. Changing habits can be a hard thing. I may not be able to see the end result of my journey, but God can! And, if I trust him, and allow him to build his little "beach head" in my life, then I know I can't go wrong.

I just need to remember my patience!

I think one of the pieces of advice that I would like to take from this chapter is the concept of keeping a journal of lessons learned so that I can go back and look at my spiritual growth. I have experienced this already with the very blog that Darryl and I write on each day. When we first started this project, my intention was to use my abilities with writing and web design to share my journey and growth with others. What I didn't expect would be the effect it would have on me. I have plans to sit down and re-read this entire blog from beginning to end to see my progress and remind myself of what I have already learned in such a short period of time. I re-read the first few days and was amazed at the things I was already learning then. Warren was right though...."the reason we must re-learn lessons is that we forget them." Had I not gone back and re-read my entries, I might have not ever remembered the things I learned on those days.

Thinking About My Purpose

Point to Ponder: There are no shortcuts to maturity.

Verse to Remember: "God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again." Philippians 1:6 (NCV)

Question to Consider: In what area of my spiritual growth do I need to be more patient and persistent?

The one area that I need to be more patient with is my understanding of the bible and its lessons. My persistence in learning more about God's Word will help with my patience. As I learn more, my confidence will grow and I will see my progress. But it takes time.