Patience - I need more

One activity that teaches tremendous patience is fishing.  I remember in those wonderful mountain lakes in Montana, my brother would be catching fish every five minutes, while I would sit there getting frustrated and trying to adjust my line.  He always caught the biggest fish.

Patience is something that can be learned.  Just think back when you were a child. You wanted everything now.  Maybe you still do.  But as you grew up, you learned to wait for the things that were important to you.  The military taught me a lot of patience. Hurry up and wait lines were the normal procession.  But I know I need more patience, especially in one core area of my life.

Give me patience with others

When it comes to working with other people, I have failed miserably when it comes to being patient.  I would love to say it is their problem, get over it.  However, deeply rooted in my behaviors are barriers to being patient.  Here are a few of those areas where I need help

• You are all grown-ups and should know this stuff by now.  It happens that people really do grow with different experiences.  When was the last time you gave them grace and were patient as they are learning?
• Just get it done, and let me tell you the steps.  I think this is hardest for me, because I believe I know how long it will take someone to do a task and exactly the steps to get it done.  People have many ways of approaching things.  Give me the patience with others to respect their working style.
• You just made the mistake for the 20th time, you know the problem, so why didn’t you fix it.  I am reminded of the apostle Paul having a “thorn” that will reside with him for life.

I am always meditating on what patience means, praying for God to grant me more patience and wisdom, and trying to learn from those who exhibit great patience.  For lack of patience is a form of pride, which is very deadly.