“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22
Each Sunday this summer, someone from our community has reflected on a particular fruit of the Spirit, and this Sunday Stanley spoke about patience. I asked Stanley to share because I knew he was an avid birdwatcher, and I assumed this must require a lot of patience. Little did I know that many birdwatchers are Type A folk who approach it like a competitive sport, driving hours for that rare sighting to tick off their list.
Self-admittedly not a naturally patient person, Stanley shared how he learned to let go of that approach to birdwatching and instead began to simply sit still in nature, open and waiting for whatever might present itself to him. Patience, for Stanley, holds this spacious openness to the other. As a lawyer, he learned the art of argument and persuasion. Now, in conversation, he is learning to wait and listen rather than formulate his response in his head. Patience, again, as making room for the other.
As I listened to Stanley, I realized that I get impatient when reality does not bend to my expectations or desires. When I want to force a future outcome onto the present and it doesn’t happen on my timetable, I get impatient and feel frustrated. I felt an invitation in Stanley’s stories to slow down, trust the slow unfolding of things, and be present and open to what reality might be offering me.
Reflecting on Patience
This week, notice when you feel impatient. How might you slow down in that moment and breathe a little more deeply? How are you being invited to “make room for the other,” even if that “other” is simply a reality that you would rather not be inside of at the moment?
If you have time, take 20 minutes each day to sit in one spot in nature and simply see what there is to see.
Blessings, Anne