Patience = Serenity

Patience - it's something we all need. 

If we don't have patience - we add immeasurable stress to our lives and the lives of others around us. 

Sometimes we don't even realize the lack of patience we have with certain people or in certain situations. We act or react the way we always do without even pausing to wonder if we our lack of patience could be making the situation worse. 

Other times we're aware and we say things like, "I should have more patience with him/her/it, but ...

And then we justify why we don't have patience. We justify why we complain, yell, grumble or walk away.

Patience is not a rare diamond. We can have it - seriously we can. It is available to all of us. It's a choice we make multiple times a day.

Can you teach yourself patience? Is patience like a muscle - can it be strengthen with regular use?

Yes and Yes ... because:

"Patience is not passive; on the contrary, 

it is active; it is concentrated strength."  

- Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton

On a day when you have time, select the longest checkout line. While patiently waiting, have a pleasant conversation with someone around you. 

Or train your patience muscle by walking behind or beside your child at his/her pace instead of in front of them.

How's this for great news - God's spirit will give us patience.

The words in the NIV Bible are familiar, "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

It's a pleasant surprise to see the wording in "The Message."

But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. 

 ~ Paul in a letter to the Galatians

Patience is translated as serenity. Haven't we all longed for more serenity in our lives? Between training ourselves and asking God - the choice is ours!

This post is part of the Blog Carnival on Patience - hosted by Bridget Chumbley.

Go to One Word at a Time to read more posts about patience.

Waiting ...

Waiting is hard! 

And we need to wait in many areas of our lives. 

“Between the wish and the thing life lies waiting.”

- Author Unknown

Some of the normal, mundane waits involve traffic lights, check-out lines and doctor's offices. These we do often, the waits are relatively short - so they don't usually cause great anxiety or stress. We expect these waits and handle them with patience. (and if you don't - you need to work on that, because you will have to contend with them for the rest of your life)

Some waits are just plain annoying - like the waiting that has to happen when trying to loss weight. Lack of waiting ability is what screws up most diets. Losing weight is a major waiting event! When you decide you want to get to a healthy weight - you monitor what you eat and you exercise. You do this for a few days and you feel so good/holy/successful about yourself - but then you're sick of it! All 10/20/50 pounds should be gone by now - gosh darn it! You are tried of waiting for this new eating plan to do its thing. The reality is - it will cause you to loss weight, if you can wait patiently, while sticking to the plan!

Other waits are scary - unlike weight loss, you aren't sure what the outcome will be at the end of the waiting time. This would include waiting on applications or test results - could be educational, employment or medical. This type of waiting sends you on a roller coaster. You want the waiting to be over. No, you don't want the waiting to be over - because living in the land of uncertainty might be better than the yes, no or maybe answer will be.

The waiting I'm in right now is somewhat in its own category. I'm waiting on a body to heal. I know bodies heal. I've seen and lived it for myself. But this time its not my own body I'm waiting on. It's my child's body that needs to heal. His trauma, injury, surgeries are in the past - now we wait. 

At nineteen, waiting on your body to heal is hard. At forty-four, seeing him have to wait is hard! He has a full life to live and right now it's reduced to eating, sleeping and resting. 

I know healing is affected by what we do - rest, medicines, exercise and food. It all plays a part - for better or for worse. When it's my own body healing, I can feel where that line is. When it's someone else, I can't. I can watch, monitor and assume, but ultimately I don't know exactly how he's feeling. So the poor guy is constantly having to answer my "how are you feeling" questions. I try to walk the line of caring mother, but not smother. I encourage him that healing will happen, he will not feel like this forever and things will get better.

As I hear what I'm saying to him, I'm reminded how interwoven waiting well and having the correct perspective is - in any kind of waiting. 

The mundane waits - the light will change, you will get to part with your money and the doctor will see you - why cause damage to yourself by stressing?

When losing weight - keeping the vision of a healthy body in mind makes the waiting easier. Knowing someday you can have a piece of chocolate again gives you strength to wait until that day and not blow your plan today. 

During the uncertain waits - correct perspective is critical. Being realistic about the fact that you could enjoy major bliss or suffer major disappointment is wise, but understanding that God will help you whatever the result helps make the waiting tolerable.

And when waiting for a body to heal - whether its your own or someone else, the correct perspective can help you have peace as you wait. Healing will happen and things will get better or as my mother often said, "This too shall pass." 
  

"When we have done our best, we should wait the result in peace." - Sir John Lubbock   

What type of waiting is hardest for you? What have you learned about waiting well? Would love to hear some tips!