We are officially past the “love” month. Except, I think we should make EVERY month a time to love–to show it, to feel it, to receive it (sometimes the hardest thing).
For the foreseeable future, I plan to write posts based on 1 Cor. 13–the LOVE chapter. Some of my posts will be devotional in nature, others will be short stories, and who knows what else God will have me write. To be honest, until I opened the draft page, I had no idea what I’d write about today. And then…there it was.
Today we are focusing on 
Love is PATIENT. We’ll start with a story…
Scott Melton opened the door and took a deep breath before stepping through. He never prayed for patience, too afraid God would answer that prayer with more to be patient about. He had enough to deal with at the moment.
“Scott. What can I do for you today?” The irritated tone of his former friend—and the love of his life—speared him as it did every time he entered Janie Pratt’s bakery.
“A dozen chocolate-covered, glazed donuts, please.”
“Hungry this morning?” Janie asked.
“No more than usual. Want to have dinner with me tonight?” He’d asked her out every week for two years. He’d started a week after her college graduation–the night he kissed her, really kissed her, not just a peck on the cheek. Her answer never changed. He didn’t know why he persisted. Except God kept reiterating in his spirit that he needed to be patient.
“One of these days I’m going to say yes.”
Struggling to keep the surprise from his face, he shrugged. “So why not make it today?”
“Why?”
“Why not? I like you. I want to renew our friendship. Maybe more.”
She snorted. “More like you want to embarrass me again like you did at my graduation. Some trick you and Lance cooked up.”
“It wasn’t a trick. And Lance decked me the next day, so don’t blame him for something he didn’t have a part of.” Was that why she always said no?
“Then why did you kiss me and ruin our friendship?”
He sighed. “I didn’t know it would, but that’s the only thing I regret about it.”
“Here are your donuts. You can pick me up at 6:30. I want to go to the new steakhouse.”
“What?”
“I said yes to your dinner invitation.”
“Really?”
“Yes, Scott. I thought you’d give up, that you’d go away if I kept saying no and continued being rude to you. But you haven’t. It’s taken a lot of patience on your part to put up with me these last two years, especially when I wasn’t nice.”
“You mean like the time you threw my donuts at me?”
“Yeah, well. It had been a bad morning.”
“I gathered. I’ll see you tonight.” Scott smiled his way out of the bakery. She’d said yes. Maybe his patience would finally pay off.
Six months later…
“I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Scott Melton.”
Scott beamed at his bride. “I guess love really is patient.”
Janie smiled. “And I’m so glad you love me. I love you, Mr. Melton.”
Sadly, patience doesn’t always have tangible rewards. And yet, we are called and equipped to be patient with those around us.
May your day be filled with LOVE and a little patience for those in your vicinity–both those you know and those you don’t.
Blessings,
Ginger Solomon is a Christian, a wife, a mother to seven, and a writer—in that order (mostly). She writes or reads inspirational romance of any genre. Even when she’s busy homeschooling, doing laundry, or fixing dinner, reading or writing are not far from her mind. She is president of her local writing group, and blogs regularly for InspyRomance.com and at gingersolomon.com.
Ooh, what a lovely surprise- a story:) Great idea to write on the attributes of love- so often we think love is about what we get, not what we give, and patience is such a powerful characteristic.
Thanks, Blessings to you:)
Thank you, Wemble, both for your words of encouragement, but also for your continued support of InspyRomance.
I really enjoyed your story, Ginger. Lovely post today.
Thanks, Jill. I didn’t know I was going to write a story when i started the post. Just kind of happened that way. :D
We should make every month a time for love, after all, it is the greatest commandment to love one another…and to love our neighbors as we love our self. Which means I have to love myself to love my neighbor well…an important lesson for me in the past year. Anyway, thank you for the sweet short story. Now I want donuts. ;) I look forward to your next love-blogs!
Great thoughts. I sooo agree with you. In the political climate I have been especially reminded this last year about Jesus commandment to LOVE our neighbors as ourselves. Keep asking myself, what would Jesus do? Donuts sound good.
I think Jesus would eat donuts. And share them with his neighbors who want to fuss and fight about who should be president, etc. Without arguing with them.
I’d love to have the patience Jesus showed to the Pharisees and Sadducees. They had to have gotten on his nerves. ;)
Renate, thank you for your sweet comment. I am learning that Jesus would love … and SERVE! He came to serve. And that is how He loved. Regardless of status, of political position or stance, He loved by serving. And when we serve the least of these, we serve Him…thus loving the least of these and thus loving Him. I try not to look at the climate…only the Kingdom. I keep asking Papa for His Kingdom perspective this year…and His Kingdom is so upside down from what the world is and sees. Enjoy a donut today! :)
I have also had to learn to love myself. It is a hard task at times. I wanted donuts when I was done writing too. :)
So, I’m currently sitting at Panera, having coffee and a pastry, with my Bible and study! Not quite donuts, but it sure is close! I drove 40 minutes to enjoy it. LOL! :)
Love Panera and their pastries…YUM! Enjoy your coffee and pastry. :)
What a tremendous blessing today and from my favorite verse too! Thank you for such a lovely reminder today
You’re welcome, Joelle. I aim to please or offer donuts. :)
Thanks for the inspiring post today. What a fantastic idea to post on I Corinthians 13. The LOVE chapter. During our mundane topsy turns lives I agree with Kelly Youngblood and try to remember the greatest commandment Jesus gave us to love our neighbors, as ourselves. In our fast food – I want it now – society, we often forget to reflect and be patient. Thanks for the reminder and the cute story. Made me smile and was uplifting. I am looking forward to your future posts on the attributes of love. Have a great weekend and happy writing.
You’re welcome and thank you. The glory all goes to God. He gave me the idea and the story. I write what I think I hear Him saying.
I’m glad you enjoyed the story.
What a cute story (though now I want to know more about how it could have happened). Thank you for indulging us with some love story to start the day.
The power of fiction. :D Of course, many things that happen in real life are stranger than anything we could write. :)
Fun, and lovely too! Thanks Ginger!
:D
What a great surprise to open up this email and find a beautiful short story/devotional all rolled into one! Thank you for making my day. First this beautiful story and then this evening a group of us are to see and hearv”Casting Crowns” at the Akron Civic Theatre! My idea of abperfectbday. Thank you Lord!
Happy B-day, Pat. I’m glad I could brighten your day.
I just wish donuts were loaded with calories!! :-)
Margaret, I sure hope you meant WEREN’T loaded with calories, because for sure they already are. ;D
Aww, I loved this story. Love is patient. So true!
Thanks, Sally.
Hope this does not post twice…..love the cute story! Late afternoon here, but needed a pick me up so enjoyed coffee and cinnamon roll!!
Yummm! I love cinnamon rolls. I indulge infrequently though.
I have a handful of gummi bears in front of me. :D
Aw, that was a sweet little story! Thank you :)
You’re welcome. ;)
Love and patience. They truly go together. And donuts. Always donuts.
It wouldn’t be the same without donuts. lol
I never thought of love being patient in that way before.
It’s good to expand our thought processes. God broadens my horizons often, and I’m thankful.
Thanks for sharing this fun story, Ginger!
You’re welcome, Britney.
What a sweet story, Ginger! Love the focus on 1 Corinthians, too!
Thanks, Teresa.
What a great little story! Thank you and have a wonderful day!
Thanks, Beth. You have a great day, too.
I giggled out loud at the story! And now I want donuts and I want to read more! Is this is in a book?
I’m glad I could make you laugh, Becky. No, it’s just a little story I made up on the spot.
I’m a lot like Scott in that I never pray for more patience because I just know God will throw something my way to be more patient about…lol! :-) I love this story you shared, I would be hard-pressed to be patient to wait for the one God told me would be mine for two years. It would be so hard! And I’d ask why the person was so stubborn too :-) HAHA….how fun!
1 Corinthians 13 is our marriage scripture, I believe God gave it to us the day we married :-) How cool is that?
That is awesome, Trixi.
She was a bit stubborn, wasn’t she?
Thank you for the story. Through my experiences in life, I have found that good things usually come after having patience.
Ah, yes… God’s timing is not our own, for sure.