“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22-23

In today’s fast-paced world, exemplifying patience has become a rare but valuable trait. Patience allows us to navigate challenges with grace and resilience, fostering understanding and growth.

Patience is also not one of my strengths.

Recently, I attended a Lectio Divina class from Wisdom Tree Collective. Amidst the silence, I felt God remind me of a call to action which I did not complete. I’d felt called to write blog posts about each of the fruits of the spirit.

I wrote about love. I love writing about love. Writing about joy was truly a joy. Peace is easier to write about as I’ve learned to allow more space for peace in my life. I got stuck on the topic of patience.  

I did write about patience, but then I deleted the whole article. I read several bible passages on patience and looked up prayers. I didn’t like anything I was writing and none of the prayers seemed to work.

I shoved my keyboard away and tossed my notes on the table as I walked out. I told God I didn’t want to write about patience. At least not right then.

There is a warning against praying for patience:

“Don’t pray for God to teach you patience—you won’t like what He’ll put you through to learn it.”

And while I don’t visualize God as a bully, it still isn’t the most comfortable topic for me. I’m always afraid I’m not patient enough in my relationships.  

Frustrated, I asked God to show me what patience looked like and then I’d write about it. Otherwise, it wasn’t going to happen. I wasn’t very patient with an article about patience. Oh, the irony.

Last week, I attended the Triennial event of the Order of the Daughters of the King. There a woman showed me just what patience really was.

I was one of the greeters at the hotel where the event was taking place. I was on a four-hour shift giving directions or information to those who needed it. There was one particular stranger who I struck up a conversation with while she was waiting for the elevator with a couple of her friends. The elevator opened and her friends ushered her to hurry and get on the elevator with them. She told them to go ahead and as they got on, she turned with her full attention to me, and we eventually finished our conversation. She thanked me for talking with her and hit the elevator button to join her friends.

I said, “I didn’t mean to keep you from your friends. I appreciate you taking the time to talk with me.”

She smiled, “Everyone nowadays is in such a hurry. This is the age we live in now. No one has time for anyone. Well, I wanted to take the time. I will join them in just a moment. It was lovely speaking with you.”

I have to say I was in awe of her. I realized she was the example of patience that I had asked God to put in front of me.

While I’m sad to say I didn’t slow down last week as I was soon swept up in the events, I remember how this lady made me feel. I felt seen, heard and loved. She gave me her full attention in the chaos of a hotel lobby.

“Well, I wanted to take the time.” And that is the key. We learn to cultivate patience within us by not always being in a hurry. There is always the next thing to do or go or see.  Many retirees have told me that they are busier now than they were when they were working full-time. They’ve had to purposely slow down to experience peace.

We must purposely practice patience.  In our modern society, it won’t occur naturally.  “I wanted to take time” was the decisive action taken by my conversation partner last week.  It sounds counterintuitive, but patience is an action, not an inaction.

Learning how to be patient involves developing self-control and the ability to wait calmly for desired outcomes. It means stopping in the middle of your agenda to attend to someone else.

I pray more of us may nurture the fruit of patience within ourselves so we can experience the rewards of spiritual growth. If we find ourselves more attuned to the fruits of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, these virtues flourish in the fertile soil of patience.

I’m thankful for the patience and attention of the lovely woman. I thank her for making me feel loved and special.

Where could you actively bestow the gift of patience to someone in your life? Your act of patience can be a wonderful gift, even to a stranger. I know I am thankful of her example of patience God put before me.

I pray to lean into patience as it leads to spiritual maturity.

Thought, Word & Deed