This past weekend, I had the amazing opportunity to come home for the first time since school started. I needed a reset, and being with my family helped tremendously. While at home, I saw the effects of the recent hurricane for the first time in real life. My yard looks completely bare since there are no longer trees around the driveway or the house. However, it could’ve been a lot worse and I am thankful that I still have a home to come back to. While in town, I also got to ride dirt roads (finally), watch football, sit by the fire and eat at my grandparents’ house. One odd activity that I participated in (or tried to) was chopping wood. We have a small fire pit graciously made by my cousin, Ben, customized with a “W” on both sides. One good thing about the hurricane is that we now have plenty of firewood, although some of it is green. So of course, it took me a while to chop through it, but I did it!
I took on the task of chopping wood with excitement, and even when I was getting tired with it not going as quickly as I had hoped, I stayed determined and knew I was going to get through it eventually. With most tasks in life, that’s the kind of outlook we need to have. Patience really is a virtue, one that we humans struggle with having (especially me). However, learning patience while staying determined will help you get through anything thrown your way. Just like the message last week about believing in God’s timing rather than your own, we must stay in a determined state of patience. Practicing this outlook in life will make your successes feel even greater and help your failures be taken as life lessons rather than losses. If you ever have to chop wet wood in your life, do so with a determined patience. Eventually you will cut through.