“Patience is NOT the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.” Anonymous
Because of a host of unexpected occurrences, I had a TRYING week. You know the kind when it seems like nothing is going right? That describes last week for me. It seemed like every day, I had to deal with a problem and as soon as I solved one, another one quickly emerged. I knew the universe wasn’t conspiring against me, so I didn’t take it too personally. It’s just with everything going on in the world right now-racial division, police brutality, the upcoming election, the coronavirus, I’m already frustrated and my patience has worn thin. But I knew if I were to remain calm while going through these occurrences, I had to conjure up some more patience. Which got me to thinking about patience. Are people born with patience? Or is patience an acquired skill? Does patience need to be practiced? One thing I do know is that we could ALL benefit from having a bit more patience for ourselves and each other. But, how do we get it? For this week’s blog, let’s talk SHIP about the need to PRACTICE PATIENCE.
What is patience? Patience is defined as “the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.” Whoa, that’s deep!!! How many of us have that capacity? Not many. Most people have little tolerance for mistakes or mishaps caused by others. We see people every day that have short fuses who lack patience. Are you one of these people? Do you get angry or upset in a situation when the outcome is not what you desired? Patience is something that directly affects our attitude and can only be practiced internally. The very definition of patience infers that it is a controlled action that requires willingness. It is situational and continuous. PATIENCE is a quality that can only grow if it is PRACTICED.
Last week, EVERY day presented ample opportunities for me to PRACTICE PATIENCE. On Thursday, my neighbor’s gardener accidentally cut the wire to my internet and phone. I called the telephone company and set up an appointment for Saturday between 12 pm to 2 pm. No one showed. After calling 3 times, I felt myself getting pissed but instead, I PRACTICED PATIENCE. After all, they would take care of it on Monday and they did. Tuesday afternoon, my car started acting up. Immediately, my thought was damn, damn, damn but I began to PRACTICE PATIENCE. Wednesday, when I took my car to the shop, I felt a toothache coming on. I made a dental appointment for Friday morning. The dentist told me, I needed a root canal but before it could be treated, I needed to take antibiotics for 7 days. I left their office in pain and frustrated, so I seized the opportunity to PRACTICE PATIENCE.
When I got in my car to go fill the prescription, the key broke in the ignition. Once, I got the key out, I knew what I needed to do, I needed to PRACTICE PATIENCE. I hopped in my mom’s car and headed to the locksmith. They made another key but it didn’t work. I PRACTICED PATIENCE as I headed back to the locksmith. They made a few tweaks and the key worked BUT it was difficult to turn in the ignition. So I drove my car back to the shop. This time another guy attempted to fix it but couldn’t. He suggested that I jiggle it around in the ignition to start it and come back tomorrow and he’d repair it. I drove home with no problem. But later on, when I was ready to get out again, the key wouldn’t turn over. I jiggled and jiggled but nothing happened. I sat in my car for 10 minutes laughing and reflecting on my day and week. Then I began thanking GOD that I was stranded in my own driveway and stuck at my own house. I thanked HIM for the ability to PRACTICE PATIENCE. Saturday morning as soon as the locksmith opened, I called and they sent their technician to my house and he fixed the key. After he left, I let out a sigh of relief and carried on with my day.
Several times during the week, I felt myself becoming frustrated. But, my inner voice kept saying during each situation, relax it’s not a big deal, and they really weren’t. As I reflected on the week, I understood that it was my willingness to PRACTICE PATIENCE that got me through it. I could have cussed out my neighbor. I could have told the locksmith about his ineptness. Placing blame on others would have only created unnecessary negative energy, discord, and disharmony. Instead, I realized that these occurrences weren’t the cause of my frustrations. My frustrations were actually caused because of my unwillingness to accept that shit can, does, and will happen. I was being inconvenienced and didn’t want to deal with any of these occurrences despite life dictating that I had too. I needed to understand that shit never happens when it’s convenient, it happens when we need to learn one of life’s valuable lessons-mine was the need to PRACTICE PATIENCE. It was then that I finally recognized that these perceived problems were actually opportunities for me to PRACTICE PATIENCE and I NAILED it!!!
SHIP TALK: Do you have a lot of patience? If yes, do you PRACTICE PATIENCE? If no, are you working on developing more?
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Patience is one of the best virtue you can have. In my case, I’ve always been patient. But in the last few years, I need God’s help to maintain patience while dealing with people. I have learned from the pandemic that patience with those around you is what’s more important. Sometimes we are patient with outsiders of the home and in the home we are not. It should be for everyone! It’s not easy, but it is worth it!
Sharon, I never heard that. Thanks for sharing. I’m just grateful that whatever life gives, He’ll be there too. Thanks for reading and responding. You are welcome to stay and explore.
We certainly can forget the importance of patience. Yet, it is an important factor that we must utilize daily with others and ourselves. Thanks for reading the post. You are welcome to stay and explore the site.
It’s such a nice post!! Sometimes we forget that how important the patience is in our lives. I am really trying to build more patience. I appreciate your post😊
Patience is definitely a gift. I was once told to never pray for patience cause God will give you possibly things you don’t want to challenge yourself for patience. This is beautiful thank you 💖
Thanks Bean. I miss you. You should really start a blog cause you have some words that can impact the lives of others. I appreciate your support.
Ahhhh” As usual Miss Val nails it again. Patience is indeed something that is not only practiced, but something that is tried on a daily basis. As was pointed out in this article about the trials we currently face. These are indeed some very stressfull situations that are not of our own doing, yet challange us everyday. There was a great man of patience of acceptance and tolorance who found himself in one of the worst possible situations a man of his stature could possiblly imagine. Although he was not always a man of acceptance and tolorance. In fact he was a fighter and trained in the sport to prepare him for……maybe he dreamed of the heavy weight championship of the world. But instead of great championship fights, he found himself in prison for many years, under the thumb of his oppressers and a government that was unjust and racisist. For many many years, im more than sure his patience, faith in God and himself and even in humanity was challenged daily and for years. And even as i write this thinking about this makes tears well in my own eyes. This man not only endured his trials, not only was he set free, but he lived to physically make great changes so that men and women would no longer have to deal with unfair living conditions in his country that was living under Apartied. Nelson Mandella
a great trainner in the art of patience. Thx Val