I WANT IT NOW!!!

-By Shannon Collins

The word “patience” has been coming up over and over again in my life these days. Like many people, I struggle with patience. I know what I want and I WANT IT NOW! Unfortunately, that is not how life works. Whether it is weight loss, relationships, work, or life we are always waiting for something. 

I found this definition for patience: “Patience is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances, which can mean persevering in the face of delay or provocation without acting on annoyance/anger in a negative way; or exhibiting forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties. Patience is the level of endurance one’s character can take before negativity.  It is also used to refer to the character trait of being steadfast.” 

This definition is a lot to digest! I had a pastor define patience as “faithful and continual endurance”. It doesn’t mean that it is going to be easy, but if we are faithful and committed we all can achieve patience. 

Think about it this way. What is it that you are waiting for right now? Is it a weight loss goal? Is it a performance goal? Is it dietary? Your child to reach a certain milestone? A proposal? A baby? A relationship? The list is endless…. How long does it last once we have reached our goal or milestone before we are on to the next thing? Not long!!! The point is that we spend most of our lives waiting. If that is the case, shouldn’t we figure out how to adjust our thinking to enjoy the journey? 

I like to think of patience as my attitude while waiting. I can certainly be grumpy, negative and in a hurry because I’m not there yet. OR I can choose to enjoy the journey and all the blessings along the way. This is something I wrestle with often, but I am committed to having a POSITIVE attitude while waiting. Take it one day at a time – endurance, perseverance and patience can all be achieved with a POSITIVE ATTITUDE!