ADVICE DAD NEVER GAVE YOU

Ralph Sorter

   Nothing seems to ruin the day or spoil the party like impatience.  You can be a small child and just a few impatient words from Dad who criticizes how you should be able to catch the ball can rob all the fun out of your time together.  Impatience can take away the desire to “be just like Mom” when you yell at your little girl who’s been playing with your makeup.

   But you don’t have to be a little child to feel the painful edge of impatience…adults feel it too.  A wife can become wounded when you impatiently try for the 15th time to teach her how to use the computer.  Even a full-grown man will slam the door behind him if his wife impatiently drills him about the grass that isn’t mowed yet.

   Impatience has a pretty powerful force behind it.  It has expectations that you should be better at this, faster, wiser.  The forces behind it are the cutting words, “You don’t measure up!”  Like water in a crack…when the temperature turns cold, things spread apart.  Soon upheaval results because we neglected to nurture our relationship along the way.

   Edmund Burke lived back in the 1700’s, but he was able to recognize the damage brought on by impatience.  He said, “Our patience will achieve more than our force.”

   Everyone loves a little affirmation once in a while.  And I’ll tell you what…you will get more mileage out of an affirmation in the critical moment of a failure than you will with the blunt force of impatience.  They may not be doing something right, but if you look close enough, you can find something to verbally pat them on the back with.  Just watch a coach from the sidelines and you’ll see which team is enjoying the game and which one can’t wait to get off the court.  When the whole gym hears his scowling criticism, he doesn’t have that bounce in his step…and at the end of the game he rushes off the court with his head down.  Patience or brute force of criticism…which would you rather hear?!

A Message from HOPE’S

Marriage & Family Ministry

ADVICE DAD NEVER GAVE YOU

Ralph Sorter

   Nothing seems to ruin the day or spoil the party like impatience.  You can be a small child and just a few impatient words from Dad who criticizes how you should be able to catch the ball can rob all the fun out of your time together.  Impatience can take away the desire to “be just like Mom” when you yell at your little girl who’s been playing with your makeup.

   But you don’t have to be a little child to feel the painful edge of impatience…adults feel it too.  A wife can become wounded when you impatiently try for the 15th time to teach her how to use the computer.  Even a full-grown man will slam the door behind him if his wife impatiently drills him about the grass that isn’t mowed yet.

   Impatience has a pretty powerful force behind it.  It has expectations that you should be better at this, faster, wiser.  The forces behind it are the cutting words, “You don’t measure up!”  Like water in a crack…when the temperature turns cold, things spread apart.  Soon upheaval results because we neglected to nurture our relationship along the way.

   Edmund Burke lived back in the 1700’s, but he was able to recognize the damage brought on by impatience.  He said, “Our patience will achieve more than our force.”

   Everyone loves a little affirmation once in a while.  And I’ll tell you what…you will get more mileage out of an affirmation in the critical moment of a failure than you will with the blunt force of impatience.  They may not be doing something right, but if you look close enough, you can find something to verbally pat them on the back with.  Just watch a coach from the sidelines and you’ll see which team is enjoying the game and which one can’t wait to get off the court.  When the whole gym hears his scowling criticism, he doesn’t have that bounce in his step…and at the end of the game he rushes off the court with his head down.  Patience or brute force of criticism…which would you rather hear?!

A Message from HOPE’S

Marriage & Family Ministry

ADVICE DAD NEVER GAVE YOU

Ralph Sorter

   Nothing seems to ruin the day or spoil the party like impatience.  You can be a small child and just a few impatient words from Dad who criticizes how you should be able to catch the ball can rob all the fun out of your time together.  Impatience can take away the desire to “be just like Mom” when you yell at your little girl who’s been playing with your makeup.

   But you don’t have to be a little child to feel the painful edge of impatience…adults feel it too.  A wife can become wounded when you impatiently try for the 15th time to teach her how to use the computer.  Even a full-grown man will slam the door behind him if his wife impatiently drills him about the grass that isn’t mowed yet.

   Impatience has a pretty powerful force behind it.  It has expectations that you should be better at this, faster, wiser.  The forces behind it are the cutting words, “You don’t measure up!”  Like water in a crack…when the temperature turns cold, things spread apart.  Soon upheaval results because we neglected to nurture our relationship along the way.

   Edmund Burke lived back in the 1700’s, but he was able to recognize the damage brought on by impatience.  He said, “Our patience will achieve more than our force.”

   Everyone loves a little affirmation once in a while.  And I’ll tell you what…you will get more mileage out of an affirmation in the critical moment of a failure than you will with the blunt force of impatience.  They may not be doing something right, but if you look close enough, you can find something to verbally pat them on the back with.  Just watch a coach from the sidelines and you’ll see which team is enjoying the game and which one can’t wait to get off the court.  When the whole gym hears his scowling criticism, he doesn’t have that bounce in his step…and at the end of the game he rushes off the court with his head down.  Patience or brute force of criticism…which would you rather hear?!

A Message from HOPE’S

Marriage & Family Ministry