More on Being Patient

Rachel is an English major who is always singing. She likes to be active and talk to people (:

“Patient persistence pierces through indifference; gentle speech breaks down rigid defenses.” –Proverbs 25.15 The Message

“There’s more to come: we continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling short-changed. Quite the contrary – we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit.” –Romans 5.3-5 The Message

“You see farmers do this all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature, patiently letting rain do its slow but sure work. Be patient like that. Stay steady and strong.” James 5.7-8 The Message

“What a gift life is to those who stay the course!” –James 5.11 The Message

Patience is something our generation struggles with. But possessing patience would make life a lot more laid back and enjoyable. When I’m waiting in the line at Saga at 12:30 for lunch on a weekday I wish I were a more patient person, so I could just talk with my friends and not feel so rushed.

Let’s be honest, Alma College does not set us up to be patient people. We all are involved in many different things and so we want to be as efficient as possible in all realms of life in order to do it all!

Why is it so hard to wait? What’s the rush? We all have a lot of living ahead of us, but we refuse to wait for five minutes for a video to load on YouTube! We live in a culture of instant gratification. But, God is telling us that anything worth waiting for, like oh I don’t know Heaven or your dream job or a friend’s forgiveness will come with “patient persistence”. This doesn’t mean you can go sit on your couch and complain about not getting that job. You have to actively seek out these things. God wants us to know that if we are patient, we will notice all the fabulous things in our lives, our own potential; we will realize what we are capable of.

I’m going to try to be more patient with people over Lent because, “what a gift life is to those who stay the course!” I’d rather enjoy every minute of this life than impatiently give up on anything I’m passionate about!