LEARN A LITTLE:
The Practice of Patience
I don’t know about you, but patience doesn’t come easily to me. Some people have even said I always seem to be in a hurry—and I suppose they have a few good reasons. For example:
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I can’t stand waiting in lines—and I always seem to pick the wrong checkout lane.
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I get mad at people who don’t have their money out at toll booths.
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I don’t like to go on shopping safaris with my wife.
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I hate watching TV commercials, so I switch channels a lot.
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Slow drivers make me crazy.
One of my all-time favorite posters is on the wall of my home office and it pictorially illustrates how I sometimes feel in waiting situations. It’s a drawing of a vulture sitting on a tree limb with a scowl on his face, saying, “Patience, my ass. Today I’m going to kill someone.” As much as I love that poster, I do realize that the practice of patience is vital to our well-being.
What Is Patience?
Patience is showing self-control, being calm, steadfast. We practice patience when we exhibit perseverance. And sometimes it’s when we bear pain or trials without complaint. We are patient when we aren’t nagging our spouse over little or trivial things. Patience clearly increases our awareness of the present and the future.
We Need Patience Now More Than Ever
It is clear that we need to be patient with others and that is what we want for ourselves as well. In fact, meaningful relationships depend on mutual patience and consideration.
Unfortunately, we are currently confronted with a daunting set of events triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many terrible things have occurred, including the death of thousands of people and almost overwhelming financial difficulties for hundreds of thousands more. As a result, people must deal not only with grief as loved ones die but also with the inability to work and/or pay their bills. While the economy will improve, the damage will be long-lasting. It is highly likely that it will take longer to resume our “economic speed” than the timetable we hope for. Clearly, this is a very real situation calling for patience.
Going Forward
We have to face the truth honestly. We must grapple with unpleasant realities as determined optimists who believe there are solutions to even the most difficult problems. Though we must endure the difficulties patiently, that doesn’t mean that we just allow things to happen to us. Our job is to make plans and move forward.
When we are patient, we live more peacefully with each other. When we are patient we aren’t as “touchy” or as demanding or rude.
We must take off the jerseys that say “I can’t wait” on the back and don those that say, “Be Patient. The storm will pass.”
All of us will need to grow in patience. Without it, we will fail each other and ultimately ourselves.
LAUGH A LITTLE:
REFLECT A LITTLE:
Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)
As iron sharpens iron, so does
one person sharpen another.
READ A LITTLE:
Can’t Not Do: The Compelling Social Drive
that Changes Our World
– Paul Shoemaker (Wiley, 2015)
Paul Shoemaker is the founding president of Social Venture Partners International. In his book Can’t Not Do, published in 2015, he lays out effective strategies and principles that committed people can implement in advancing significant social change.
The essence of the book is how we answer seven core questions beginning with “Are you a determined optimist?” and ending with “What is your – can’t not do?”
The book shares many excellent stories from those men and women who made an important decision in their lives that there was an overpowering cause or issue for which they would personally “have to do something about.” One brief example is that of Lisa Chin, who after 20 years as a successful business professional, made the life-changing decision to help empower others. Among her accomplishments was heading up the Jubilee Women’s Center in Seattle, Washington, a transitional housing program for homeless women. What’s timely about the book today is that Shoemaker shares the story of SARS – Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome – that shook the world in 2003 and the role that dedicated individuals played in confronting that global crisis.
This book may be more relevant today than it was in 2015 as we seek to reorder our world after Covid-19.
If you are curious about curiosity this book is for you.
Purchase this and other recommended books at amazon, your local bookstore or through CherryHillHighTide.com bookstore. All CherryHillHighTide sales benefit persons with disabilities.
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