Time passes whether I want it to or not.
Some days that passage feels very costly.
Other days it can seem slow, or expansive, or even wasteful.
But the truth is that time is just a faceless measurement.
This morning my thoughts on time collided with the word “patience” over a homemade almond-milk chai latte…which consequently was a waste of time. Chai tea and almond-milk are a poor combination. Just FYI 😉
I was reading a book by Graham Cooke where he writes:
“Take stock of your life right now. If a lack of patience is an issue for you, it should be obvious. If God wants to grow your patience, you will face delays, traffic, slow line-ups, slowed prophetic action and the rest. He tests us on these issues because He wants to refine our character. Patience is a virtue we need to develop, especially when we are about to birth something new spiritually. It takes time to grow as we sort through all of the things that are thrown at us and discover what exactly God is calling us to.” (Prophetic Wisdom. Pg: 69)
Reading that triggered my excitement.
“Excited to be patient? Really?!” – you might ask.
I know, I know. Sounds weird, but let me explain.
Patience is meant to produce something in us, not simply to be an irritant.
The more situations that we face with the opportunity to be patient…
…to wait, to dwell a moment longer…
AND the more we give God permission to develop us in those uncomfortable spaces, the better our lives are going to be.
I promise.
Why?
Because being patient changes our perspective on things and God doesn’t waste His time making crap.
Yep. He’s a master craftsman. Get used to it. 🙂
Suddenly the grocery store line-up turns into a place to meet new people, or to remember that one thing you almost forgot but really needed to get on you shopping list. Frustration can blind you, while patience can help you see.
Extra time in traffic gives you a chance to listen to that new song you just downloaded four times instead of one…which is awesome because you love to sing at the top of your lungs, which consequently improves the whole mood of your day. AND the guy in the car next to you gets a good laugh at how in to that song you are. Your patient-focus can shift the entire atmosphere around you.
Or that life-dream that still seems so far off – the gift of patience in the waiting gives you the freedom to work on “small” things now that will benefit you later. Like learning to grow tomatoes if your dream is to farm.
The benefits of patience is more for us than anything else, I think.
Cuz really, when we get excited to wait – we know the waiting is creating something beautiful in us and our resulting attitude brings rest and peace to every corner of our lives.
Yes – the people around us will enjoy our attitude shift as well…
But they won’t benefit as much as we will.
Graham Cooke suggested writing out a prayer of patience.
He says: “In the midst of crisis, it is difficult to pray spontaneously because our requests of God shift with the pressure we feel in the heat of the moment. But if we have written out a prayer that asks God for a specific thing, we can be faithful to what God wants to do.”
Here’s the prayer I wrote:
“Papa-God, thank you for the gift of patience. It is a virtue that I need. Thank you for the space that waiting brings so I can sort through what You are calling me to amidst the messiness of life. Patience leads to discovery, upgrades, deeper trust in You, and a fresh understanding of who I am and who You are. I am sorry for the times I’ve chosen not to wait, disregarding what You have for me in that moment. Thank you for the transformative gift of patience. Amen.”
Patience produces something good.
Expect goodness to result.
Happy Waiting! <3
