Lord Teach Me Patience...and could you do it....Yesterday?

As I began preparing for our lesson on patience I was reminded of a song from my son’s favorite record album as a child. (In fact he still has that album). It was on a Bull Frogs and Butterflies album and it was called, I believe, “Have Patience”. The words went like this; “Have patience don’t be in such a hurry, when you get impatient you only start to worry, remember, remember, that God is patient too, and think of all the times that others had to wait for you! Have patience, have patience….” and so on. The interesting thing about this song is it was supposedly sung by a snail, so the rhythm in the song was much slower then normal. Our world today is anything but slow… We are a fast paced, instant society. A typical day for many of us starts out with instant coffee, followed by an instant bowl of oatmeal, while our children are feasting on a toaster waffle and a pop-tart with a disposable box of juice.

If we are not feeling to pressed for time, we take out our one minute Bible and get in a short 5 minute devotion. We stop at the pay-at-the-pump gas station for gas, (so we won’t need to walk all the way in to pay for our purchase) and on our way to work, or wherever we are headed for the day, we drop off our dry cleaning at the two hour cleaners and our film at the 1 hour processing place. We scurry through a busy, hectic morning, stop at a drive through for lunch, pick up our film and dry cleaning, and scurry through the rest of the afternoon.

On our way home we stop by the chicken place for a bucket of chicken. Once at home we prepare our 1 minute instant cooking rice. Microwave our 2 minute veggies and sit down to a family meal. Whatever conversation we have with our families, or friends, is likely rushed as we hurry off to accomplish our evening activities. Oh yes, and let us not forget that as we headed out the door this morning, we attached our cell phone to some part of our body, so that we could carry on a conversation with someone, where ever we went, in a moments notice at the touch of a button. We must be accessible to people at all times and they to us. We can't afford the luxury to take the time to sit and chat for a few moments, and to give someone our undivided attention. And heaven forbid we would miss a phone call, or need to return a call. We just don't have time. We have become the impatient-instant society, we want what we want, when we want, and we usually want it now, or at the very least in the next 10-15 minutes!

Not only have we become an impatient-instant society, we have become a multi-tasking society. To have singleness of purpose, or to be simply focused on one thing at a time is now seen as being inept, unproductive, or less than. I have often been referred to as the “Queen of Multi-tasking”. Until today I saw that phrase as a compliment and a result of my Spirit given gift of Administration. But now I wonder if it is more about my impatience, rather then my gifting?

Society has subliminally substituted the idea of waiting with the idea of wasting. We perceive waiting as wasted time. Perhaps this is why when those times come, that we are called to wait, they often bring out the worst in us. Why is it that some of us get frustrated waiting in line at the grocery store? Or get resentful if the person in front us is driving the speed limit, while cars on either side of us are speeding past, and we have to be stuck behind Mr. or Mrs. Slowpoke? Or why do we find ourselves so irritated when the lead car at a green light takes an extra 15 seconds or so to get going? And heaven forbid the person in the 10 item checkout line should have 12 items! And then there are our children who just seem to dawdle when you need them to hurry!!! Why do we get so frustrated, irritated or angry? Perhaps it is because we are in too much of a hurry to reach the destination or to accomplish the task etc. We just can’t stand to waste time!!! Our lives have become about the tasks, not about life. Our lives have become about accomplishing rather then loving. Our lives have become about having time rather then giving time. Our lives have become about us and not about others. Our lives have become about me rather then He!

Some of us have become so caught up in the final destination that we are missing the blessings along the way. We are so caught up in the final outcome and reaching the goal that we miss the nuggets, the rewards, along the way. We are so caught up in the doing that we have forgotten about the joy and the peace that comes from being patient, and taking time to enjoy!

In your lesson this week I pray you will find freedom from the urgent, and discover the Joy and Peace found in the “Fruit of Patience”.

Be Encouraged, Sandra
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