Oh Abby.

This morning was my last bible study with the "girlz". We've been going through a study called Faith Untamed: The Strength of Rahab, Deborah, and Abigail. It has been so incredibly encouraging to study each of these women, read of their past, see their "untamed faith" through the various trials, and be able to relate to each one of them, despite the circumstance.

This was a question that we answered in today's study:

The woman I most admire is ___________________ because...

My answer:

The woman I most admire is __Abigail__ because... her patience is incredible. I hope one day I can have the self-control, love and submission she did for her husband (who was a non-believer). AND, she was completely satisfied in the life she had.

If you don't know the story of Abigail and Nabal, I suggest checking it out. This woman is solid. 1 Samuel 25...it's worth reading.

The more I thought about my answer, the more convicted I became. I'm not patient, especially with the people who need to see it the most. Reading what real Christ-like patience looks like in the life of a woman who was not respected or even loved by her husband was really convicting. I often try to put myself in the situation, and if I were Abigail...Nabal wouldn't have been around long. But instead of seeing her marriage as a punishment or lost hope, she used it as an opportunity to witness to her husband through patience and submission. She relied solely on God for her joy and despite the unhealthy relationship between her and Nabal she was completely content with the life she was given. 

I don't want to ruin the rest of the story, so I'll leave that to you to read. I will quote this, "The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good man (woman) rewarded for his." -Proverbs 14:14

And just to add on to the message God is trying to tell me about this whole patience thing...

The car that I followed all the way home.