Patience is not something that comes naturally to me. My whole life I have tried (and often failed) to practice patience. Surprisingly, during pregnancy, patience came a bit easier, both with myself and with others.
Until last week that is…
Now I am in that awkward in-between where I am uncomfortable whether I stand, sit or lay down and ready to be done with pregnancy, but also not feeling ready at all for Baby E and all that comes with parenthood.
I think that my increased patience was more due to being nervous about what is to come rather than an increased ability to actually be patient. Regardless, it sure has taught me a lot about patience, and how it leads to gentleness and grace. Which is helpful in these final weeks.
I saw how patience with myself actually made me more mindful to have patience with others. And that patience led to responding and acting with gentleness and grace. Which actually didn’t often slow a situation down, or create a more tedious process, the change was felt on an internal and psychological level.
I felt more calm, measured and able, instead of feeling frantic, worried or scrambled (okay still a bit of all of those things – but less than my normal)! I believe this was increased by God’s reminder that things happen in his timing – whether it be a baby, or a task at hand.
Is there somewhere you need to have more patience with yourself? Who else can you have more patience with this week? Can you think of a time when patience led to having more gentleness and grace?
Let’s start with patience as we head into the final weeks of summer while we continue striving to be “The hand of God, in the Heart of the City.”
Grace & Peace,
Erin
PS – Over the next year while I am on maternity leave, you’ll hear from different THHS staff on this platform as they share some of their thoughts on how ‘(the) Mission Matters’ to them. Stay tuned!
Prayer
Lord, teach us to be patient – with life, with people, and with ourselves. We sometimes try to hurry things along too much, and we push for answers before the time is right.
Teach us to trust Your sense of timing rather than our own and to surrender our will to Your greater and wiser plan.
Help us let life unfold slowly, and teach us to savor each experience and learn the lessons behind each story.
Amen
(adapted from here)