Hurry, Patience & Spilled OatMeal

And sometimes the greatest act of hospitality is not yelling when your kid spills their bowl of oatmeal...again.

I've been listening to and loving a podcast about hurry, spiritual practices and other things. One shared thought was that when we're in a hurry, we often reveal the worst parts of ourselves.

Unfortunately, hurry seems to have overwhelmed our society for many people, myself included. My kids aren't yet tainted by the appeals of busyness. And I find that these frustrating moments actually force me to slow down. Yes, we had places to be and this mess was hindering that. But to be honest, I can't even remember where we were headed (that may also be the newborn-lack-of-sleep issue 🙃) but I do remember not yelling but instead teaching. Like I actually bore the fruit of patience, even if just for one moment. I'm grateful for that. I desperately want this to be normal, so I have to celebrate the big and small wins. Because after all, more spilled bowls are coming.

Or perhaps a better way to say it: "more opportunities for sanctification and grace to have their way with me" are coming.