Patience

From the Oxford Dictionary:  

patience

NOUN

'a task requiring patience’

SYNONYMS: perseverance, persistence, endurance, tenacity, diligence, assiduity, application, staying power, indefatigability, doggedness, determination, resolve, resolution, resoluteness, obstinacy, insistence, singleness of purpose, purposefulness, pertinacity

ANTONYMS:  impatience

Perseverance.  Persistence.  Tenacity.  Diligence.  Determination.  Resoluteness. Purposefulness.   All good words; words that I hope are, or someday will be, descriptors of who I am.  

But I’m not sure if I’m a patient person or not.   I wonder if it is patience, or if it is actually a form of procrastination?  Sometimes I’m not exactly sure what the difference is.  I can say I’m patiently waiting for something … but maybe I’m just putting off the action of getting it done.

Waiting is tough.   Waiting implies that any action to be taken to resolve or rectify a matter needs to be done at another time or by another person.

I have been waiting and praying for my husband to be freed from the chains of his depression, but after nearly three decades, I am still waiting.  I am patiently expectant that God can and will come through for him, in His time. 

That’s the kicker though, isn’t it… in His time; when God sees fit to work it out.  It’s a struggle for a lot of folks, people of faith and unbelief alike.  I guess that’s the essence of faith though, believing and trusting that God’s got it all in hand and He will work it out ... in His time.  

I might have some seeds of patience in me.  I’m still waiting to find out for sure. 

In the past year I have gained more weight than I would like to acknowledge, which incrementally increases the number of pounds I subsequently need to lose.  I want to lose the weight … now.  Or better yet, yesterday.  Am I willing to put in the hard work to get to that place, and wait patiently for the results to show, knowing that it is going to take more than a day, a week or many months?   If not, does that make me impatient? or lazy?  Or does this just constitute procrastination?  "I'll eat better tomorrow.  Tomorrow I'll go for that walk." 

I have prayed for my truck-driving husband to find “joy in the journey”, hoping that if he found some delight in the path, that it would make the road more bearable.  Am I able to find joy in my journey?  A better question for me right now might be, “Can I find joy in the weight-loss journey?”

I need to keep reminding myself of these words:  Perseverance.  Persistence.  Tenacity.  Diligence.  Determination.  Resoluteness. Purposefulness. 

I need to be mindful that there can be joy in my journey, no matter the mountains and valleys, and no matter the outcome. 

Meanwhile, I’m baking that mix of gluten-free double-chocolate brownies that has patiently been sitting in the pantry waiting to be baked.  They’re ready to eat … now.

Psalm 37:7New Living Translation (NLT)

7 Be still in the presence of the Lord,
    and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
    or fret about their wicked schemes