Patience

Why is it so hard to have patience?  Just the other night I was sitting at a red light when the lady behind me starts honking her horn at me.  She wanted me to move up so she could turn.  However, there was a car in front of me.  If I moved up too far, I would have hit him.  If I didn't move up at all, she would have continued to honk.  So I moved up a tiny tiny bit so she could try and get through.  She almost side swiped me.  But apparently she had places to go and people to see and I was just in her way.  How hard would it have been for her to have patience?

My mom made a good analogy about patience and a stop light last night.  She told me that sometimes we just have to remember that we are waiting for an amount of time with the light on red.  It doesn't mean that our dreams are over.  It doesn't mean that our dreams have yet to begin.  It just means that sometimes God holds us at that red light until He's ready to turn it green.

It's so easy to want to be that lady that was in the car behind me with no patience.  It's easy to want to move forward even if the time isn't right.  But sometimes patience is just what we need during those times.

My Nanny taught me years ago to never pray for patience because God will sure give it to you.  After years of praying that prayer, I stopped!  God will test your patience as long as you ask Him too.  And I don't know about you, but there are just certain things in life I don't want to have THAT much patience for.

Just this past year and a half, I've had the privilege of watching what true patience is all about.  I have a friend that has had to have patience to an extreme....an extreme that most will never know.  His determination to get through one day at a time and not worry about the end result is inspiring for others to watch.  Most people can't even dream of not worrying what comes next.  Patience is out of the question for so many. 

I have to admit, I struggle with this.  I worry too much about what the future holds when I should just be having patience that the right thing will happen in the right time.  I might be sitting at the red light for a little bit longer, but I know the end result will be worth the wait!