A Lesson On Patience

When one deals with an impatient person on a regular basis, it is common for this person to then avoid the other individual who makes them feel inadequate, and, in essence, feeling inadequate is similar to not being accepted for who one truly is, regardless of our emotional, physical, or spiritual "flaws." Love, then, becomes, or is perceived as being conditional, rather than as it should be, unconditional, and no one wants to stay where they don't truly feel loved or appreciated as a simple human being.In the Bible, God speaks on the virtues of patience. Patience is not only needed in our earthly relations, but it is imperative in our spiritual walk. Lack of patience can be draining on our spirituality because, as we are stuck in traffic honking our horn for the lane of traffic to move so we won't be late for our dentist appointment, we are failing to be spiritually mindful of the moment.

Spiritual mindfulness centers your mind on the present, not on the hurts or regrets of the past, or the worries of the future, but the beauty of the moment; the here and now. Impatience with ourselves and others zaps the pristine flow of the moment and detracts from what is right within our grasp to hold; love and friendship slipping away right through our fingers. When a friend hands us a freshly-picked wildflower simply as a gesture of thoughtful and caring appreciation, do we allow ourselves to drink in the beauty of the moment, or does our impatience kick in, irritated that this person has dared to detract from our precious busy schedule? As the driver who is stuck in a traffic jam will not alter his situation via his horn honking and rising blood pressure, so too, can we not alter the behaviors of others through our own expressions of impatience. As the author confirms, all we will succeed in doing is push those we care for farther away.Spiritually, patience is also needed if we are to await, not only the blessings God has in store for those who believe in Him, but for our own growth and maturity as Christians. Just as wisdom, knowledge, and understanding is not obtained in a day, so too, is patience something that must be developed over time, and never neglected.

Recently, I had contact with someone I perceive as impatient. Little did I realize that learning how to deal with an impatient person would reveal to me my own impatience and unyieldingness! I did not at all like this person's attitude when their impatience flared, thus, I found myself becoming increasingly frustrated with this person's so-called "flaw."

Guilty, I was.

In dealing with an impatient person, I learned that I needed to be, not only more patient, but more understanding and loving. If I did not want to be a spiritual hypocrite, then I, too, would need to extend unconditional love, the same love God offers me despite my many flaws. While my initial reaction was to avoid this person, I have since begun to embrace her spiritually and prayerfully, asking God to show her a better way.

While it may be a difficult task to deal with the impatience of ourselves and others, thankfully, God is quick to answer those who invite Him in to their life! And, like the unconditional love we are to bestow upon others, so too, is He quick to offer us the same!

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Contributed by Melanie Schurr (Copyright (c)2003 Melanie Schurr) Melanie Schurr is author of "Ecstatic Living Ecstatic Loving: How to have more peace and joy in marriage, and life in general by walking in harmony with God," and "Son Salutations: A refreshing collection of modern inspirations for those who seek God each day." For more information, visit her web page at www.angelfire.com/mi/melschurr