I remember when I was younger thinking that patience was one of the "lesser" Christ-like virtues--at least compared to things like faith or compassion or charity. Then in the MTC, I had a difficult time with my companion and found myself suddenly in desperate need of patience and realized that I had none.
This has turned into a lifelong theme. Some people have reoccurring trials with health or family or finances--but it seems that most of my trials have been ones of patience (I guess with a name like Sarah Elizabeth, it was inevitable). Trusting that God will have everything work together for my greatest happiness isn't necessarily the part I struggle with (though I do wonder what in the world He's doing sometimes), it's when I'm asked to sit back and do nothing--allowing things to unfold as they will that I feel internal fingernails scraping down a chalkboard.
Because I'm the type of person that loves action--to make a plan and go out and make it happen, being asked to "let go and wait" is a strange and exquisite torture. Recently, life experience has brought this up again, so if any of you have any counsel for me on how to patiently wait, I'd love your insights.
About Me
- samiam
- A middle child, world-traveler, favorite aunt, recently-turned-runner who loves happily ever afters.
11 comments:
I'll check back often to see the advice too....must say I feel I have very little sometimes too! :o>
Praying for understaning and the capacity to see the situation the way HE does often helps me though.
No advice here, alas. My trials have been more along the lines of, "endure, endure, endure."
I'd be happy to receive advice on THAT. :)
Well I don't have any really good advice on this one. But while you are waiting keep yourself busy buy doing some kind of art or craft. Try to bring back the popularity of macrame.
This is (and always has been) MY lifelong trial, too...along with faith--both of which go hand in hand, I've decided.
Albert Einstein once wrote, "Life is like riding a bicycle. The only thing that keeps you balanced is to keep going."
I think about his words a lot. I don't think WAITING is the right word for what us patient-less princesses need. We'd just fall off our 'bicycles' if we just stop and wait all the time. Better word might possibly be HAVING PERSPECTIVE (which isn't easy either) or MAKING OURSELVES AVAILABLE TO those things we hope for or are seeking.
My best advice (as if you really cared about MY advice whild I am still ailed with the same issue of patience) is to keep going. Don't "forget about it" or "move on" or even to "just wait...". Keep moving. That's what seems to help me most. Thanks Albert.
i'm so totally embarrassed...in 2003 i started writing this book about a girl named 'sara' and she was trying to learn patience. i just posted it on my 'ifthouknewest.blogspot.com' blog and then checked your blog...wow, talk about timing?! for you that is...i agree, patience is totally hard. there is also a quote by madonna that i liked too when she said "Obstacles come up in our life, it's for a very specific reason: to teach us something that we haven't learned yet." and there is truth to that. we can come out stronger than we knew we could be because of our success in rising to the challenges before us and in the end...all is well. smiles!!!
Sarah,
I thought the book experience alone was enough to show your great patience!
You are awesome girl.
LauraLee
One of my favorite quotes by Neal A. Maxwell is about patience. It's taken from a talk he gave at a BYU devotional in 1979:
"Patience is a willingness, in a sense, to watch the unfolding purposes of God with a sense of wonder and awe, rather than pacing up and down within the cell of our circumstance."
For the transcript of Elder Maxwell's entire talk on patience, go here:
http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=6735&x=59&y=10
It's a really beautiful talk.
Wow you guys! Thank you for these insights. I'm going to put up a lot of these quotes on my wall so I can read them.
Like everyone else, this is always going to be a trial for me. I've thought a lot about it. I need a TIME OUT. Whenever I'm losing my nerve, I have to go in a room by myself and think why am I frustrated and what can I do to fix it. Like Lori says it ends with a prayer, not really asking to understand, b/c in the frame of mind I won't understand no matter what, but I ask for patience. For the Spirit to calm me down and tell me no matter what I'll be okay. I had a moment the Lord did this and I still wanted more of an answer. I felt good, but kinda mad that he didn't explain. I'm sad that I just didn't take what I got at the time, but at the time I really wanted it, but know looking back I've learned a lot. Not that I think, oh that was a great trial, but I understand a little why it was good for me. ;) Yea, good for me. Hate that.
Jenny's learning about patience too. Do you read her blog?
She's got some great insight. Check it out
http://jennyreeder.blogspot.com/
i am moving over to Cambria, hopefully!
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