Daily Post: Patience

I can hear my mother say, “You need to be patient!”

I am an impatient person! Life is fast paced in this technology driven, “hit a button”, “fast food drive up”, “instant gratification” world we all live in. Everything should have happened 15 minutes ago…it can feel like we are behind instead of right where we should be.

One time we were on our way to church and we were following a car that appeared to be lost. We were stuck behind this meandering car most of the way to church. My husband, like myself can have his patience tried, turned to me and said,

“I wish this person would hurry up!”

I responded, “What if that is Jesus in front of us?”

He replied, “Jesus would know how to get to church!”

I am the person at the grocery store “line hopping”” and somehow no matter how much I “line hop”, I end up in the longest, slowest line. I am the person who used to try to speed past you, since it was important to not have anyone in front of me. Ironically, you and I would end up at the same stop light up ahead. I can lack patience with myself and others.

Have you ever lost your patience? I have on many occasions because I am not able to control the outcome. What if I surrendered my control over situations and allowed circumstances to organically unfold. Faith, Hope, Prayer & Love have helped me let go and learn to accept life’s speed bumps put there to slow me down.

As the years go by, I am learning the Virtue of Patience…to be ok with Waiting:

• for my # to be called to board my flight
• for a long slow-moving freight train
• in a long grocery line with a patron on food stamps, redeeming coupons or maybe conversing because they are lonely
• for the doctor when my appointment time was ½ an hour ago or for test results
• to pay a bill since I do not have the funds until the end of the week
• to arrive at our destination…wherever that is…patiently!

If Patience is a Virtue than Waiting is the Path to Getting There…

I am learning to be “present” in the moment, to appreciate that I have the money to buy my groceries or to pay my bills. While that freight train is slowly moving across the tracks, I have music on, put the car in park and enjoy the moment! Patience is learning to accept and surrender to the present circumstances. As my mother told me many years ago…I need patience, it helps me put the brakes on, smell the roses and see what is right in front of me.

Today, I had patience, tomorrow I may have less…

I am a “work in progress” since learning to have patience takes perseverance which is truly a Virtue!