But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:4 (KJV)

I am not as patient as most people think I am; I have been praying for patience. What does impatience look like? I have learned the amount of impatience I have, not only with people but with myself!
I don’t use microwaves that often, maybe once a week, if that much. I have come to abhor food from fast food places, they are not real restaurants. But I do interrupt people who talk to me, so I can get my point across. I do not intentionally drive fast but I have received a speeding ticket; that has slowed me down! $$$$
Some people drive faster than the speed limit, not because they are late but because they want to get to where they are going in a hurry; other people cut in line because they just don’t want to wait there turn. As a person who receives incoming calls to help solve problems, I am amazed at the number of people who want fast solutions to complex problems, that they caused because he or she did not follow directions.
The lack of patience is the inability to wait. The lack of patience leads to mistakes.
Before starting my shift as a Tax Expert I prayed based on 4 Bible references one was James 1:4> My declarations was: “I yield to patience.” ! Side note: Don’t pray if you don’t mean it. Patience at work means listening to whatever the customer is saying, no matter how long they take or how they say it! People are angry and they sometimes takeit on people they don’t see, I have worked in an office and most people exercise more self control. Were you one of those irate customers demanding to speak to a supervisor?
I have had to use the greater amount of patience with my embroidery and quilting. I have had to correct many errors in my hand embroidery because I didn’t take my time and think about how I was sewing a particular stitch. Creating something from the beginning takes time, technique and a whole lot of patience because mistakes can and will happen even to the best of us. A mistake means undoing what was done and doing it over. With embroidery, while learning a new stitch, I have had to do something again more than three times. There are times when I am working on a project and just have to walk away, this delays the completion date.
Parenting requires more patience than many people today have and there are no “do overs’ with a child.
Patience is a selfless characteristic and many people today are selfish. The King James Version of the Bible states “Charity suffereth long” other translations substitute “love” for charity. I am including both tranlations.
1 Corinthians 13:4 (KJV) The King Jase
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

1 Corinthians 13:4 NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE (NASB)
Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant.

Being patient is more than just waiting it is how you wait. I am learning to wait with understanding, appreciation, empathy and love.

Written by Marsha L Floyd
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