I’m sure most of us have said we need to pray for patience. However, I will tell you from experience be careful what you pray for. Patience is a virtue so they say. It also depends on what we are being challenged by at the time.

I can be very patient with my children or a patient or my dogs but I blow a gasket over a slow computer. I am not patient when politics gets involved. I’ve worked on it but I think we all get very worked up by the political climate today. However, patience takes practice like exercise to strengthen those muscles and to allow yourself to breath rather than hyperventilate.

I also don’t have patience with anyone that hurts someone or something that can’t defend itself. I go ballistic when I see a sweet animal that has been neglected or abused. I can’t stomach the person that would betray the unconditional love of a child. I have zero patience for someone that physically abuses another disadvantaged someone. A battered wife, a bullied kid in school, someone from a culture we don’t necessarily understand.

We are all human. We are susceptible to mistakes. We can fumble the ball unwittingly. However, the good book says to forgive is divine. If we make a mistake, we should ask for forgiveness. If someone else makes a mistake we should forgive but we don’t have to give them the chance to hurt us again. If it’s trivial then don’t sweat the small stuff. If it’s bigger, then discuss it with the other party and try to understand. Listen to understand and not just to reply. Then learn to be patient with yourself. Don’t expect perfection all the time. That’s a tall standard to maintain and a high expectation of others and yourself. Imagine the difference between a quick drive through meal verses a slow cooked all day stew at the end of the day.. yum.. Patience yields rich rewards.