Be Careful What You Pray For

Word on the street is that you NEVER pray for patience or strength without telling the Lord SPECIFICALLY what you need. You know how people say "be careful what you wish for"? Well, I'm here to tell you that you should also be careful what you pray for. God is good and he will answer your prayers, it just might not be the answer you were hoping for.

How can we learn to be patient? By being pushed to the limit, and not getting what we want when we want it. How do we gain strength? Yes, you guessed it... by fighting battles.
Society used to dictate which battles I fought, but not anymore. I decided to choose my own battles. I don't let society direct my way, or put me into a fighting ring that I don't want to be in, especially not just to appear the be the person that everyone expects me to be.
Finishing something that we start is such a big deal to us, and to everyone around us. Start something, and decide it's not for you and they'll say "she always starts something, and never finishes it,". That sentence alone sets the stage for pressure and panic.
I think one thing we need to understand is that, just as the world constantly moves and changes, we grow, we change. And that should be exciting! We have the right to change our mind, and we absolutely have the right to stop something that we started because we learned that it was not for us. Why, oh why do we keep jobs that make us completely unhappy? Why do we stay in relationships that make us unhappy?
We stay so that no one can say that we failed. It's crazy to me, that so many of us go through stages of our lives miserable simply to shut people up and make them THINK we are happy, or successful, or whatever image we are trying so hard to portray.
In 2001 I decided to become a massage therapist. I enrolled in school, and graduated with a 4.0. Although I worked as a massage therapist briefly, I ultimately decided it wasn't for me after all. Even now, 10+ years later, people still tell me "You never finish anything you start,". Even after finishing school with honors, I felt like a loser, because I didn't do with my degree what everyone else EXPECTED me to do.
It's okay to change. It's okay to grow. It's okay to try something and decide it's not for you. Don't spend your life miserable simply because you're worried what people might think if you move on to something new. Fact is, no matter what we achieve, we have to do it for OURSELVES, no for others. Do it, not because of your pride, but because it brings you joy. Pray for God to guide you, ask him to help you find joy and peace, and just as he teaches you to be patient and be strong, he will teach you happiness and joy.