Have Patience

December 24, 1960 was one of the longest days of my life. It was Christmas Eve and I was 10 years old. The anticipation and excitement of opening presents on the biggest day of the year was more than I could stand. The thought of going to sleep sounded good - "just close your eyes and Christmas will be here before you know it!" I closed my eyes but my brain refused to shut down; instead it began to race and jump and go into a routine of mental gymnastics like I had never experience before. After tossing and turning for what seemed like hours, I glanced at the clock beside my bed.... 15 minutes. My long struggle with trying to enter dreamland had only lasted 15 minutes before I had surrendered in frustration.

I tried calling out to mom and dad. They didn't even pop their heads in with sympathy and soft voices of assurance. I just heard faint voices from the living room, "Go to sleep, Dave - it's late and you will want to get up early." Little did I know that mom was finishing up the knitted sweater for my big sister and dad was trying to get tab "A" into slot "C", playing the role of one of the famous toy makers of the season. I remember waking up several time during the night and going into my parents room to ask if it was time to get up. My mom was not too excited when my initial inquiry flashed 2:30 am on the alarm clock! 4:15 am was not a good wake-up time to suggest to my groggy dad. But at 6:30, when I woke my sister and asked her to go into the master bedroom and announce the birthday of Jesus, mom and dad gave us the green light to head toward the tree with the flashing lights.

The patience of a 10 year old is as long as the hair on a bald man. And yet, patience is a character quality that must be learned in life. Road rage is a scary thing when adult men and women lose their patience while driving deadly weapons of mass destruction. Angry words are spoken to our precious children when they don't get ready fast enough. Acts of frustration often bubble-up when we are asked to wait - whether it be in a checkout line at the grocery, or being put on hold during a phone call, or sitting longer than usual in the waiting room at the doctor's office. Maybe there is a connection between being called a "patient" and having a seat in the "waiting room."

Timing is everything is certain aspects of life. Knowing when and how to wait is often just as important as knowing when and how to act. Patience can save us from embarrassment and the consequences of incorrect assumptions. Waiting for the right time can maximize the actions of a leader in bringing inspiration and motivation to the team. Decisive action balanced with wise patience can bring a high level of effectiveness to a leader's ministry.

But.... patience is so hard! I want to run the race at my pace; I want to move ahead even when barriers warn me of dangerous curves; I want to pass the ball even when my receiver is not ready; I want to vote even though there is debate and indecision around the table. And the core of the problem is that I WANT.... selfishness can raise its ugly head in the midst of impatience. One needs to have a healthy self-confidence, but even a greater self-denial as one relies upon God's hand of direction and guidance.

A couple of passages from the New Testament come to mind: Hebrews 12:1 "Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" and then 12:2 "Let us keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..." I need to run with great perseverance AND with my eyes fixed on Jesus. Sometimes I run hard, but my eyes are on myself or on some self-centered goal. Another powerful verse is Galatians 5:25. After Paul has just affirm that patience is a vital part of the Christian experience (v.22), he says, "Since we live by the Spirit, let us stay in step with the Spirit." As I run the race I need to develop the ability to focus on the urgency of staying in step with the Spirit. I must not lag behind, nor run ahead. I must not miss the open doors of opportunity because I am not ready, but I must not try to open doors before God has unlocked them. I must be ready to run and yet patient enough to wait on the Lord's timing.

The next time traffic has you backed up and your irritation level begins to rise, take a deep breathe and bask in the possibility of developing patience!

December 24 picture from http://www.saidaonline.com