God grant me patience and I want it now!
Patience is …
An agreement with yourself to wait peacefully. A lack of struggle or resistance while waiting. Trusting that something will arrive in your life at the right time. Refusal to worry and letting life unfold as it should.
These are my thoughts on patience. I’m sure you could add your own. There are simple times when we are called to be patient like waiting in line or being stuck in traffic. Then there are the more challenging times such as waiting for the results of a medical test or waiting to learn if a loved one is safe after hearing of a natural disaster where they live.
Waiting and patience seem to go hand in hand, don’t they? Waiting requires patience. If one is not patient while waiting, it creates a stressful situation allowing worry to creep in. How does one learn patience? I believe the older you are, the easier it becomes.
Patience is the opposite of instant gratification. Generally speaking, as you age, being able to wait patiently for things becomes less of an issue. Maturity? Wisdom? Understanding and accepting your lack of control in the situation? Yes, I think so. All of the above.
When I am stuck in traffic or in a long line at the post office, I’m not a fan but I don’t get upset about it. There’s nothing you can do! Letting that ruin an otherwise perfectly good day is foolish and wasteful. I often use the down time to think through something, solve a problem or come up with a plan. Time well spent without stewing.
In the more serious times of waiting, of course there is stress. This is where faith and trust come in. You must trust that no matter what happens you will be able to handle it. You have faith that everything is working for your good. Easier said than done.
They call patience a virtue for a reason. It must be developed, beginning with the small stuff and then gradually applied during the more challenging times. It takes practice.
Some good quotes on patience:
“Great things come out of patience.”
“Patience is the calm acceptance that things can happen in a different order than the one you have in mind.”
“God has perfect timing; never early and never late and it takes a little patience and a lot of faith.”
“Two things define you: your patience when you have nothing and your attitude when you have everything.”
Learn to be patient in all things. It will serve you well. God bless. :))
Love that first line! Made me smile. Like you, “patience” has now become synonymous with “opportunity” for me. It may have taken fifty years (and God’s grace) to hone that awareness, but what a great payoff it is! xox