Patience...

Patience is a virtue….

What’s a virtue? According to dictionary.com it means moral excellence

But what is patience, really?

Is it simply about waiting for a late bus, in a long line at the grocery story, in traffic, or the next event we are excited for?

I have a hard time with patience; I am always looking forward to the next thing or the next time I can talk to someone I really miss. While being here, it still happens, maybe even a little worse. Last week, I was SO excited to see Faith that I allowed the whole week to go by with that being the only thing that occupied my thoughts. It’s just a view weeks until everyone from the team gets here, and sometimes I find myself being so excited for them to get here, that I am trying to plan or prepare is some other way.  I think that as much as I am trying not to honor the team as they prepare to come, that instead I am not honoring the people here.

I think that patience is that attitude we have that we have while we wait. I think that it’s ok to be excited for whatever is happening next, I think that part of being a Christian is being excited for Jesus’ return. But what if we only ever talked only about Jesus’ return and never all of the most amazing perfect attributes of Him or even just reading about His return and not any other parts of the bible THAT would sure be interesting and maybe eventually get boring!

What if instead of waiting for something, we were joyous in the present. I can easily admit that I am HORRIBLE at this but it’s something that has been on my heart for a while. I waited for so long to come back to Masii, and recently I found out some incredible news about school and next fall and now I am all excited about that. But am I honoring God by always looking for the NEXT place he is going to send me? That would be a big fat NO!

I think the best way to HONOR God and the people here, is to truly be HERE. To jump in at every turn, to preach where and when I am asked, to go where I am invited, and to sing when asked (that’s an iffy one) and not always be anxiously waiting for the next thing or the next time that I may “want” to do that thing that I am being asked.

“Patience asks us to live the moment to the fullest, to be completely present to the moment, to taste the here and now, to be where we are.”(HN)