Sanctification

It's never fun-but its the Lord's work, not mine, and I know I always come out better suited for His purposes on the other side. Recently the Lord, working through Shane, spoke to me about some harbored feelings in my heart that were fermenting and turning into bitterness. It may sound comical, but the instance I'm specifically referring to happens to involve our post woman. Yep, the woman that delivers our mail. We live in an apartment complex and do not get mail delivered to our apartment (other than U.P.S.) so we have to go down to the little Mail Post down the hill and get it from our little post box (about a 6 x 6 cube), and packages we need to sign out in the Leasing office outside our gate and up the hill.


Well like any good American I am impatient and want what I want now, or better yet-yesterday. Everyday when I come home from work and drive through the gate it is my desire to stop by the post "depot" and grab our mail on my way up the hill. Usually the post woman is "taking her time," filling the boxes, and I continue to drive up the hill frustrated. She is usually wearing her normal "uniform"- sweat pants, sweat shirt, running shoes-I decided that this lack of "professional" attire means she must really be a lazy person- which only fueled my fire. Monday she might deliver at 2, Tuesday at 4, Wednesday at 3 o'clock-I can't predict her "schedule" so I have wasted many trips walking down the hill to get the mail. Well Shane was right-my frustration with the post woman had become not only irrational, but bitterness would seep out anytime we passed by her. It's absurd I know-but clearly-yes- I AM that depraved!


I was convicted of course, and knew I needed to make changes to my attitude. The other day I got home from work and noticed her mail truck out there. I went up to our apartment, cleaned up a bit then got ready and walked down to the gym. After my workout I walked back up the hill, again passing by the mail boxes. I saw her filling boxes in the section next to our mail box and decided to extend the proverbial "olive branch." I said "Hey, (with a big smile on my face) are you working your way this way or the other way?" -inquiring as to whether or not she filled our section yet. She looked up at me with that "Are you talking to me?" look on her face and quickly snapped "THAT WAY." I smiled and said, "Ok Thanks" then quickly went on my way thinking all the while, "Of course! I try to be nice, I try to see who the real person is behind my assumptions, only to confirm that she is worse off than I thought! Lazy and MEAN!"


It was terrible, my plans for a kind heart towards her were thwarted! Later I realized that my heart attitude has nothing to do with what kind of person she really is or isn't and was convinced the devil was trying to get in the way of some much needed sanctification. Later Shane came home from work and picked up the mail on his way in, only to reveal pictures we had recently been awaiting to frame and put up on our wall in an envelope labeled "DO NOT BEND" (with large pictures inside)completely bent in half and clearly jammed into our little post box. I was enraged!!!! Not only was she mean, but she ruined our photos! Needless to say, Christ knew what he was talking about when he said we are no better than the pagans if we love those that love us-that's the easy part- and sometimes that seems hard enough! How He has patience for us I will never know-but I am grateful, because I need an unending supply!

Always in the Making,

-M.W.