Patience really, and truly, is a virtue that few people truly posess.
What does patience look like? This is a question many may ask, myself included.
One woman prayed earnestly to God to give her patience; God gave her 11 children.
Children are a wonderful gift from God, and they teach us patience in many forms. From the time they are concieved, we must wait patiently for their eagerly anticipated arrival into our world. Then the true test of patience begins, and gets tested time and again. Waiting for the child to learn to smile, waiting for it to begin eating solid foods, waiting for the first teetering steps, the first words, the first school day, etc....
Children test their parents patience when they misbehave. They are a test of patience when they rebell, when they refuse to cooperate. It is our duty as parents to teach our children patience through our actions and reactions to them.
But patience is not only a virtue for parents, it is a virtue all mankind ought to strive for.
How many times have we made rash decisions because of lack of patience?
How many times have we trampled on other peoples emotions and feelings due to lack of patience?
How many times has impatience caused trouble in our lives?
Examples? There are many.
- The young girl who could not wait to finally be married, and took the big step far too soon, only to realise (after many a year had passed?) that she made a grave mistake.
The teen who dropped out of school in favour of a job offer that turned out not to be as fulfilling as he had thought it would be.
The inconsiderate way many seniors are treated, the impatient glares they recieve from many a younger fellow human being, the same humans who, themselves, are on their way to becoming a senior.
The list could go on and on.
Let us take time to ponder that becoming more patient could, in so many ways, enrich our own lives, and the lives of those surrounding us.
Patience and love go hand in hand.....and every one of us needs to feel loved.
