"Just because you want it sooner than it can be released doesn't mean it will be released any sooner." ~Erica Spruill
How many times have we wanted to rush the process to get to the end of something? Whether it was the process for a promotion, a relationship moving to the next level, the end of toxic job, a draining relationship, or letting go of a failed business idea. All these things and more require patience because patience is the space between confirmation of a thing and that thing becoming a reality; it is space where we learn the lessons. Patience is not typically a fan favorite, but it is definitely essential.
Patience is For Everyone
Patience has no age limit, no cultural preference, and no wise favor. Everyone must exercise patience at some point in life. Patience teaches us that working for what we want, comes over time instead of right away as we often hope it would. Patience helps us realize our strength, tenacity, and fortitude as we wait for the process to be over, the work to bring forth its pay, or the drought to end with rain.
Patience is for the Kindergartener who has never had to share a toy or an adult's attention with other children.
Patience is for the Senior in High School who is waiting to hear of acceptance to the college of their dreams.
Patience is for the college student who is interning with a good company, but they are waiting to hear if they will keep them on Full Time upon graduation.
Patience is for the newlyweds who have had their first really upsetting disagreement that has them faced with the reality that it takes more than love to have a successful marriage.
Patience is for the adult children of a parent who is losing their memory, independence, and sound decision making.
Patience is for the assaulted and violated female, who when she spoke up, she was not believed and made to feel like she was responsible.
Patience is for the business owner who has been in business for 7 years and still has not successfully been able to gain the traction they were hoping for by year 3.
When you find yourself struggling with patience, remember that your current situation will give way to that breakthrough you have been waiting for, that harvest that you have worked so hard for, and that joy that you have shared with so many others.
Patience in the process
Patience sometimes seems unfair, disrespectful, and even unrealistic when we are waiting for something to end or begin. During the process is where we must have the most patience because we can't rush it, no matter how hard we want to or even try to. No matter what the situation, we must give the process time to grow, mature, and evolve into what it is supposed to be.
It is like trying to rush a baby's arrival, but understanding the baby needs to finish developing and that takes about 40 weeks to do. If you rush the baby's arrival, you risk the baby being underdeveloped. The processes we find ourselves in, require the same level of space to continue to develop. Personal, Spiritual, Professional, Relational, Financial, even Physical processes take time to become, not what we sometimes try to rush them to be, but what they are destined to be - fully mature.
Those personal goals take time to identify, plan out and achieve. School, skills, and talents are not developed overnight.
It takes time to mature into the faith and trust that we all have been given a measure of.
Working your way up that career ladder takes time and tenacity to learn the skills needed in upper management.
That marriage you are longing for will not take place until both parties are really ready.
401K, Retirement and even Stocks take time to build up into wealthy empires and discipline takes time to build up to prevent debt from being an issue with financial freedom.
It didn't take 21 days to get out of shape, but it amazes me why people think a 21-day challenge will automatically whip them back into shape without consideration for what is being eaten.
Patience Has Purpose
It is when we learn how to be patient during the process that we learn not only about ourselves, but also about others. We learn how to adjust our attitude, shift our focus and be open to all that is being revealed during the process, and if we pay attention, we will see some people in our circle for who they really are. It is during this time that we often gain clarity on what we are really passionate about and stop doing things just because we can and start focusing on things because they matter and have impact.
Businesses begin to flourish when the process has landed you between being laid off and savings steadily dwindling.
Skills and creativity are learned when scholarship money runs out and loan limits are reached.
The go to person in the circle clearly sees who has their back when they need someone to go to, whether it is for money, encouragement, or insight.
The strong one becomes aware of who will hold their arms up when they are on the corner of exhausted and I'm done.
It is when we are in difficult positions that we find strength, resilience, and determination to get through this in between time until the process is over, the light shines brightly on the path, and we are ushered into our next with more wisdom and power than we had before.
Patience At All Times
Let's be honest, it is not easy to always have patience, but patience does always reveal its purpose. Sometimes patience is revealed in a new business, project, skill, career, or trade. Other times, patience is revealed as just missing out on some bad occurrence:
You wake up late for work and are rushing to get to work on time only to find out there was a bad accident on your route at about the time you are normally on that road.
You wind up being late for that concert with your friends because you were waiting on one of your friends only to see when you finally get there, the police leaving the area because some concert attendees became unruly.
You are travelling to a place for the first time, take a wrong turn and have to double back only to see that you missed a bad thunderstorm with strong winds and rain because you basically went in a circle.
You dated someone for 2 years just knowing you were going to marry them in year 3 only to find out, they have some secret baggage that was revealed and landed them unavailable for the next 7 years.
Your team is taking longer than expected on a release and winds up not being first as forecasted but does wind up being the most stable when compared to competitors.
Patience doesn't always delay a reward; it sometimes surprises you by actually being the reward.
Who is patience for? Everyone
What does patience reveal? Rewards
When is patience needed? Always
Why is patience essential? The lessons it teaches
Where is patience necessary? Every area of life
The next time you are rushing someone for an answer, to get ready, or to create something, remember your actions are impacting your reward.
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