Patience: The Art Of Waiting

Introduction:

Welcome my friend,

Today's conversation points us in the direction of patience, a word we're familiar with and hear quite often.

Yet, this familiarity doesn't diminish the chance for us to uncover fresh insights.

So let's embrace this with a different mindset, viewing patience as an art of waiting, which means that it's a refined skill that can be learned.

So that when time has passed and we've completed the act of waiting, it'll be that it was purposeful and not a mere waste of time.

In other words, this is about how what we do while waiting shapes the outcome when the wait is over.

Discussion:

Picture waiting in line for over half an hour to access a public service, only to reach the front and find the system has timed out, closed for the day.

Time wasted, objective unmet, you leave feeling let down.

Here, the system itself wasn’t broken; it’s designed to shut off after a certain time, and you simply arrived too late.

Yet what seemed like a patient wait, filled with hope for your turn, has ultimately ended in disappointment.

So, what truly went wrong?

■ Patience - Act Vs Art 

Beyond merely waiting for our turn, it’s crucial to be informed about what we’re waiting for, grasping its possibilities and requirements.

This is the art of waiting.

For example, as we’ve seen, someone with better knowledge would recognize the system’s schedule and could gauge, by noting that with the crowd ahead in line, their turn wouldn’t come in time.

This spares them wasted time and inevitable disappointment.

Which means that, beyond the act of waiting for our turn, it’s vital to master the art of understanding what we’re waiting for.

Otherwise, we might just be passing time.

■ Patience - Mastering the Art of Waiting

The real life application of the art of waiting may not be as simplistic as joining a queue in the public space but the same principles apply.

To wait successfully, we must:

▪︎ Clarify What We’re Waiting For

In truth, repeatedly pulling a door marked “push” won’t make it open.

Similarly, no matter our intentions, motivation, or effort, we need to recognize when we’re on the wrong path and muster the courage to redirect our efforts.

Many of us persist in repeating the same mistakes over time, even years, hoping for a different result.

This is futile because what we seek isn’t found where we’re searching, and no amount of effort will change that reality.

Perseverance only yields results when we’re on the right path, so that each step forward brings us closer to our goals.

Realistically, pouring more energy into a misguided pursuit won’t make it fruitful.

Instead, we should leverage all that experience to identify the necessary course redirection, aligning ourselves with a path that matches our expectations.

▪︎ Prepare For It

One might argue that arriving at the queue earlier would have secured our place.

This highlights the importance of preparation, using available information to equip ourselves for the demands of our expectations.

Patience isn’t merely about hoping for improvement; it’s about the actions we take to drive that change.

It’s our strategy for creating the transformation we seek.

This distinction separates patiently waiting from merely passing time.

Patience is a virtue, requiring resilience as we navigate the journey from a vision or goal to its realization.

Therefore, what we do during this process is critical, even influencing the duration of our wait.

When we keep trying, we fail forward, making new mistakes that make us wiser, bringing us closer to our goals.

However, repeating the same mistakes traps us in a cycle, revealing our lack of readiness for what we desire.

Truth is, the best opportunities are always contested, which is why nothing worthwhile comes easily.

As a result, our efforts while waiting distinguishes true patience from mere wishful thinking.

■ The Challenge With Waiting

Patience often clashes with our desire for instant results, which is why it doesn’t come naturally.

It’s a disciplined practice, meaning we can cultivate it over time by drawing lessons from our experiences.

The fear of disappointment pushes us to crave quick results, so that we can decide whether to persist or pivot quickly enough.

However, progress doesn’t always unfold so swiftly.

Truth is, the relationship between time and experience means we can’t bypass certain stages as we progress toward greater skill or significance.

So while learning, growing, and advancing, we must show ourselves compassion, understanding that self criticism breeds doubt, clouds our judgment, and ultimately hinders our progress.

■ Waiting For God 

As believers, one of the greatest challenges we face is remaining steadfast in the face of adversity.

When life gets tough, we often desire quick changes to our circumstances.

After all, if God loves us, why must we endure suffering?

The truth is, out of His love, God sometimes allows us to experience trials that only He can deliver us from, using them to teach us faith and build our character.

This calls for the art of patience, ensuring that we act rightly so that we don't miss out on these lessons and the eventual blessings that'll come from them.

Firstly, this involves the understanding that God is capable of keeping His promises, so that we have this assurance that we're not wasting time.

Which then inspires us to willingly respond in the right way.

That is by staying faithful, trusting Him to transform our circumstances at the appointed time, rather than try to do things that imply rushing ahead of His plan.

This is how we wait on God.

Summary:

Still disappointed that you couldn't access the service, you're now headed home but quickly stop by to grab a meal.

You walk in, but the dish you want is sold out, though it’ll be ready in half an hour.

Unsure about waiting since you’ve already lost time earlier, you choose something else and head home; only to find it’s not as satisfying as your first choice after trying it.

Perhaps waiting that extra half hour would have been worth it.

Indeed!

Sometimes all that stands between us and what we truly want is a bit more patience, guided by the information we have.

Master Apprentice.

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