Road to Recovery

Patience, why is it such a hard thing to learn? Maybe it has something to do with our instant society. We don't like waiting for things--especially not things we feel strongly about.

Patience has been a tough lesson for me. I'm still learning it. I have a funny feeling I'll be learning it for a long, long time. That's kind of funny when you think about it--impatient about learning patience. But it's true--I don't like waiting for things.

Take running. That long, slow build up... forget it... it takes too long. I feel good. Why not keep upping miles? Well, I found out--bad knee. Now I'm forced to learn patience while I let things heal.

I took a whole week off--last week. Now this week I'm starting back... nice and slow. The problem is, the knee feels pretty good (no pain anyway). Why not just jump right back in? Why not up the miles... I feel good?

Patience.

Oh, what a hard lesson to learn! What a difficult character quality to develop. There's just something compulsive in my personality that makes me want to dive in... go overboard with things... become impatient when I have to wait... when things don't happen instantly.

But the truth is things do take time. I know that. I just keep forgetting (ignoring) it. I've lost 65 pound--in a year, not overnight. My fitness level has improved--in a year, not overnight. My relationship with my wife is richer, deeper, more meaninfull; but it's taken 23 years of marriage to get this far. The exciting thing is, what will if be like in another 23 years?

Patience.

Running takes patience. The body takes time to adapt and adjust. Muscles need to develop... ligaments need to become stronger, more resilient... bones need to strengthen... injuries need time to heal... it all takes time, and can't be rushed.

Patience.

Relationships take patience. They need time to build trust... break down facades and remove masks. They need time to develop a kind of transparency that can only come from years and years of being together... sharing life's ups and downs... being there for each other in sickness and in health. It can't be rushed.

Patience.

Maybe that's why Paul lists patience as one of the "Fruits of the Spirit." It grows over time. It multiplies itself over and over again in our lives. It reproduces itself in the life of others. Patience may not be easy, but it does tend to be contagious. After all, God has been incredibly patient with me. And hopefully some of that patience is wearing off in my life.