My four year old son is in the hard knock school of life stage of the lesson of patience and the reality that instant gratification isn't always a given. However as a mother now trying to teach it, Im finding myself wondering what's more challenging, teaching it or learning it.
Parenting can be a rollercoaster of emotions, and if I'm being honest, it can make you feel a bit like a hypocrite at times. There you are, trying to pass on life lessons to your little ones, all while realizing you're still trying to master those lessons yourself.
And as life keeps throwing me plenty of never ending lessons, I find patience is the one that keeps sneaking its way to the top as the toughest. As I imagine it is for most, unless your a real spiritual master, and if you are, email me your secrets.
From the moment our tiny selves enter this world, we enter into a masterclass on patience. As babies, our needs dictate the clock, teaching us the value of waiting for the nurturing care of our parents. Then childhood, we unravel the reality that progress require lots of practice and persistence. Whether it's mastering a bicycle, the intricate steps of dancing, or sports skills, the essence of patience is teaching us that skills cannot be mastered without it.
Then the lovely teenage years, when hormones seem to be calling all the shots. We find ourselves impatiently wanting to fast-forward to adulthood, just to escape our parents' restrictions. Because we are so tired of our parents using the phrase,"Not right now." Only to find ourselves ironically using the same phrase to our own children.
Then into adulthood, the lesson of patience seems to throw even greater challenges our way. We struggle with the impatience of unanswered prayers, unfulfilled dreams, and slow progress in our relationships and personal growth. We find ourselves getting agitated that the changes in ourselves aren't as quick as applying a filter on Instagram. And just when we think we have it all under control, a toddler's tantrum reminds us that patience can truly feel like our opponent in that moment.
It's funny how the lessons we were taught when we were young often don't quite click until we hit a rough patch in life. That's when it seems like our inner sensei, wise and all-knowing, finally decides to make an appearance, and happens at the most random times too. Maybe you're lying in bed staring at the ceiling, or like me, zoned out at a red light. In those moments, everything just seems to fall into place, and suddenly the puzzle pieces that didn't make sense before, start fitting together effortlessly.
Whether I liked to admit it or not, even as write this, our power is really unlocked in the ability to wait patiently. And even though, God turned the lightbulb on for me about the power in patience, I hate to admit I still find myself quite frequently struggling at the delays, questioning why we can't just have what we want right now.
In the midst of my struggles, still with the delays of life, I've come to understand that these tough times are what truly shape us and help us grow. The waiting, though challenging, has a way of strengthening our spirits, shaping our characters, and encourage emotions that make us appreciate the journey. If everything in life was instantaneous, we might miss out on essential experiences that mold us into better versions of ourselves.
It becomes clearer to me that God intends for us to tap into the source of potential within us, and he does so in a manner that allows the acquired wisdom and strengths to remain ingrained in us, much like riding a bike even after years of not doing so. The key attribute He emphasizes on is patience, a virtue that, once mastered, provides us invincible, as it leads us to understand that the fruition of our desires, both personally cherished and divinely granted, unfolds in its own perfect time. Through patiently waiting, we continue to evolve and enhance our capabilities, ensuring that when the awaited moment arrives, we possess all the tools required to embrace and conquer whatever we have so patiently yearned for.
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