Some people seem to be inherently patient, they are the ones who take their time, and who let others take their time. They are slow to frustrate, hesitant to complain. Wherever they go, they bring peace and the gift of space and time. I am not one of them. At least not naturally. Though I hope I am slowly changing.
I tend to move quickly, or at least I want to do so – I see something and want to be there now, not floundering on some endless journey. I can easily get frustrated with both myself and others when I, or they, are not where I would wish to be. And as I write this, I am acutely aware of the arrogance of such a thought. As if I have any right to know where someone else should be, let alone myself. I think all people have this trait, to some extent. For we are people who are driven by the clock, the days, the months, the seasons and the years. Our world lives at a frenetic pace, and we must keep up, no matter what. We feel time slip past us, and we know that as it steadily marches onward, time, for us, is running out.
But God? Our God, who sits outside of time, seems to view things entirely differently. He is outrageously patient. I frequently marvel at the fact that God plays a long ball game. He gives people so much grace, me included. That God doesn’t act quickly, He doesn’t just call time out when things are going bad, but time is one of the gifts that He gives. It is as if He has all the time in the world to craft us, make us and mould us in His image, instead of the limited lifespan handed to each of us.
As a fruit of the spirit patience doesn’t seem very exciting. And yet it is a harbinger of grace. A gift to the world from God that needs to be bestowed by his people. And, it seems, that patience is something God wishes to birth in his people, well, in me at least.
As my life continues, there have been times and seasons of grief, frustration, incapacity and failure. All of which has taught me to be more patient – with myself, with others, and with God. They have taught me that I need to do that which lies before me, small and insignificant as it may appear. They have taught me to sit with others and to hopefully hold my tongue, as I give them the time and the space that they need. And I have learnt, through far too many words rashly spoken, that it is better to think deeply and to respond slowly, rather than be a puppet of my emotional responses.
I, clearly, am still a work in progress. But I take comfort in the knowledge that God seems to be okay with that. That this, in fact, is precisely the way he intends it to be.
Our wonderful, patient God, it is so easy to be frustrated. We long to be finished, completed, and perfect. And if we are honest, we would really like others to be that way too. Please teach us patience. Teach us to value, and cherish this outworking of grace in our lives and in others. May we be people who bless all those that we meet by bringing patience into our interactions and gifting it to our relationships. Amen.
Is patience something that comes naturally to you? How has/is God developing this in your life?
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