Perfect the Patience that Perfects You

Story: Two men on a spiritual journey heard about a flower that grew on a far mountain. When the flower blossomed, it would give a person a deeper understanding of life. The men climb the mountain, and find that the flower has not bloomed. After a month, one of the men tires of waiting and leaves. Fifteen years later the two men meet again. The man who stayed tells his friend. "After you left the flower opened. I waited long enough for that to happen."

We are missing patience. "In patience possess ye your souls." "Be ye doers of the Word." Our lives are so unconnected. We walk around with expectations. It's expectations that punish us. We pretend to have patience. The commodities that I think will set me free are the things that hold me captive.

We can't have a God centered life unless we find patience. I must learn to be patient with what I can no longer do or be. I must learn not to act out patience with selfish expectations. Patience is not a waiting for something (that's an opposite.) It's a participation in the process of God's life.

Patience is to let a disturbance pass by without picking it up. I suffer who I'm not instead of trying to find a way to free myself. I must let patience perfect me.

I need patience to see life through the eyes of those who do not see life the way I do.

I must learn the patience to listen. My impatience punishes everyone.

I must have patience with people who don't love me the way I want them to.

I need patience to realize that I'm not the only one who suffers.

I need patience to work with what is true. To see that I will be given what I need. I must wait out my inner voices.

My task is to wait patiently with the passing of the impatient self. Be willing to give yourself up for patience.