If there has been any recurring theme in my life, in particular as of late, I would boil it down to one word. Patience.
Asking those who know me, most would say I am a rather laid-back or “chill” guy. Not much phases me in the way of altering my outlook on life. A dear friend of mine used to say, “You can’t cloud my sunny disposition.” I love that. Maybe it’s a gift or maybe it’s a facade.
I like to think I am (relatively) patient, but in reality, I hate to wait. Waiting on traffic or the light to turn green from red. Waiting on the next episode or season to come out. Waiting on how the book ends or the final score to the Mississippi State football game (except being a State fan, you can usually err on the side that we’re going to lose). Whatever the reason, I believe now is a time for all of us, including myself, to learn the art of patience.
We are still in the middle of some very strange times. Multiple businesses have now been closed for months. Many are closed permanently. People are reeling from being locked inside their homes. Going to the grocery store? Don’t dare get caught without a mask unless you want to face the unforgiving and judgmental eyes of fellow customers. Costco won’t even let you in. Want to go out for a walk? Watch how others jump to the other side of the road as you walk past them. It really is bizarre. We don’t have much of a choice other than to sit, be patient, and wait to see what happens next.
Take a moment to read these verses slowly and try to posture your heart and mind.
“The end of a matter is better than it's beginning, and patience is better than pride.” — Ecclesiastes 7:8
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” — Romans 12:12
“A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.” — Proverbs 19:11
“…being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, giving joyful thanks to the Father…” — Colossians 1:11-12
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” — Colossians 3:12
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” — Ephesians 4:2
“Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” — 1 Corinthians 13:4
If you haven’t gotten the hint by now, God tells us over and over again, in the New Testament and the Old, be patient. For some, this skill seems natural. For the rest, patience can be a real struggle. Being patient brings trust. Trust produces endurance. With endurance, comes success. Is that not what God wants for us? To succeed?
In a way, gaining patience means losing control. I don’t mean losing it in the sense of having none, but rather letting go. Being okay with the fact that (the majority of) things are outside your immediate control. The stoics loved to remind themselves of this…
“Don’t seek for everything to happen as you wish it would, but rather wish that everything happens as it will — then your life will flow well.” — Epictetus
As a practicing (and relatively new) stoic, I try to remind myself that it is not what happens to me that is important, but rather how I respond.
Marcus Aurelius said it like this, “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way."
When I am in traffic, I have the choice to be upset, impatient, and ill-tempered. Or, I can decide to smile, enjoy some music, a podcast, or an audio book, while remembering how blessed I am to have a vehicle to get me around.
As we wait on this pandemic to end, we have the choice to get upset and lash out. We also have the choice to be patient, and make the most of the situation. Learn. Grow. Adapt. The choice is yours.
Be Well,
DW
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