Tuesday, September 27, 2011

spirit for life's hard balls ...

Mom told me over the weekend that Dad is struggling with work.  The boss came in and wants to bring a younger guy to head up the team that my Dad is in charge of.  My Dad is very diligent and puts a lot of pride into what he does.  Now he has a weight on his heart.  I am frustrated.  He doesn't need anymore health issues to kick up at this time of his life.

Then I realized what Chuck Swindoll had said about Daniel ~ "The employer will notice your spirit before he will notice your diligence." ~ is right on.  When the hard balls or the fast balls come into your life, your diligence will not rise up and meet it rather it is your spirit.  You can cop a bad attitude or you can choose to be more relaxed and soft.  I totally got it.

I was a bit concerned because diligence is such a good word and such a good characteristic to have.  I am tenacious and I think it is a kin to persistence.  However, if you can keep love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control (Galatians 5:16-22) on the front lines then it makes room for the diligence and tenacity to cover the rear guard.

I've been whispering under my breath that a gentle spirit comes before diligence to keep reminding myself when the boss gets a bit feisty.  My prayer for my Dad during this time is for his spirit to reflect the Fruit of the Spirit along with that heaviness on his heart to go away...

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