Fruits of the Spirit: Patience

Don't you hate waiting? If that website isn't up in under five seconds, we're checking our connection. Starbucks takes forever to get our coffee ready - a whole four to eight minutes. The job promotion is taking forever. The injury just won't heal fast enough.

Patience is hard for almost everyone, especially in today’s world. We can get instant responses to our texts, same day delivery for our purchases, and home delivery for our groceries.

But there are times when we just have to wait. Babies take nine months to grow. Morning won't come until the sun rises. Children are two years old all the way until they are three. It doesn’t matter if we wait well or poorly, the waiting must be done. We might as well wait with patience.

How in the world can we do that?

When we are filled with the Spirit, we can trust that God will use this waiting or this delay for our good. This time is a gift that gives us the space to grow. How often do we wait without filling that time with something else? I think we would be startled at all that is present if we allow ourselves to be fully immersed in the waiting instead of looking towards the end.

In today's challenge, I want you to find something that you are rushing through or pushing past and change how you approach it. Sit in that struggle or that process and look around. Wait and don't worry about what is coming. Look for what is already there.

Then give thanks for the waiting.