When I really think about it, though, he is right. I have trouble patiently waiting while someone is talking without interrupting. And, sometimes I have to take deep breaths and force a smile when two fellow shoppers are completely blocking a shopping aisle with their shopping carts while having a lengthy and casual conversation (major pet peeve!!!). When it is cold outside and our little guy wants to crawl all over the van instead of climbing in his car seat so I can buckle him and I am standing outside in bitter cold wind, well, I feel very impatient.
Patience is a tough virtue. Who loves a wait? Admit it. When you are ready to check out at the supermarket, do you carefully survey the lines and choose the longest one? Probably not!
Ever been to an amusement park on a hot summer day? And wished that the line was longer?
Anyone dread updating their computer, phone or internet service because it would be "too fast?"
How often have you looked forward to hearing the words, "Please remain on the line for the next available assistant."?
Nope. Most of us do not look forward to waiting. We want instant gratification. We want things fast. Life is becoming faster and faster-paced. We have fast-food. We love express lanes. We raise our speed limits. So we are becoming less and less accustomed to having patience.
There are many ways to start to re-gain patience in your life.
First, identify the times when you have the most trouble maintaining patience. Then, brainstorm ways to eliminate the stress that leads to impatience.
For instance, I know that if we are rushed to get somewhere on time I become impatient. When I plan ahead the night before, the morning becomes much less rushed and I am more patient.
God has a way of teaching lessons. I can remember a time when I had an appointment to get my hair cut. This was when we only had Emily and I was big-in-the-belly with Megan, and Emily was fortunate enough to get to tag along on this exciting errand.
Now one thing to note about Emily is that she is rarely in a hurry. She soaks in life and truly enjoys her surroundings. That is great, unless you are running late. And on this particular day we were running late for our appointment.
I was rushing her, coaxing her along. And, on the sidewalk she tripped and tore her tights and got a bloody knee. I KNOW that if she had not been rushed she never would have tripped. So, instead of being patient with our sweet toddler and being 5 minutes late for my appointment, I had to bring her inside the house, clean up and bandage her bloody knee, change her clothes and comfort her -- and we were 15 minutes late.
I don't think I have rushed my kids to the garage without thinking of that incident, and it reminds me to be patient.
So, if you find yourself becoming impatient in traffic, you might find an alternate, less-traveled route. If you find yourself impatient at stores, you might decide which days are less crowded at your favorite stores, and shop on those days.
Secondly, take a step back and see the big picture.
Like I said, my husband has patience to spare! We dated three and a half years before he decided to go shopping for some life-changing jewelry, and five months later we were married. I was ready to take his name long before he asked! Then we waited four years before starting a family. I was ready for babies long before he was. I could not wait, but the Lord taught me (through Matthew) to wait. Just wait and enjoy the season of life that we were in.
Now, looking back, I am so thankful for our long dating season. We knew each other well when we married. We had been best friends for years and knew each other's favorite foods, knew how important fantasy football was (to one of us!!), and had been prayer partners for years. No surprises! We knew what we were in for!
Looking back, after 10 years of parenting and many more to go, I am so thankful that we had four years to ourselves to enjoy being newlyweds. It was the most wonderful season.
Sometimes I catch myself wanting to rush ahead to the season when our children are independent enough to leave at home so we can date again. Then I stop and look at the big picture -- in 8 years Emily will be an adult!!! We only have 8 more years to raise her and enjoy her at home. Do I really want to wish away this very special season of raising our children? I will be patient!
It was difficult to see the big picture then, because I was impatient to get to the next stage in life. But God sees the big picture. His timing is different -- and better -- than ours!
Pray that God will help you develop patience. It is a fruit of the God's spirit, so the more God's Holy Spirit is dwelling in you, the more fruit you will bear! This means spending time in God's word, in prayer and in praise. Interestingly enough, when you study the history of the Israelites you discover that when God's people drew close to Him, they won battles and were blessed. When they allowed themselves to be drawn away from God, they found themselves in trouble. It is NOT just a coincidence. Many benefits come from a close relationship with God. It does not mean that life will be without problems, but it means that we have a "personal trainer" -- the Holy Spirit -- to encourage us and guide us.
The end of a matter is better than its beginning,
and patience is better than pride.
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