Have you experienced the following situations, and failed to be patient?
• When we struggle to figure life out but we always seem to come up short.
• While driving. The driver miscalculated a turn, hits a pedestrian. An altercation erupted between the two road users. It ended to shooting one dead on the spot.
• While playing sport. A player bumps into another during a game. The one who was bumped retaliated. It quickly grows into a fight.
• When kindness was repaid with ingratitude. A male passenger offered a seat to grandma 3 passengers away from him. The nearest female passenger without looking at the old lady, blindly said, “Fool”. She was slapped on the face.
• When a generous service was treated as an entitlement. A hand carried oversize bag can’t be put in the overhead compartment by a stewardess. It was politely placed in a spacious area near the cabin crew’s seat. Prior leaving the plane, the passenger took her bag but feeling bitter she slapped the stewardess on the face and race to exit.
Would you agree that patience is a virtue? (Galatians 5:23 “Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law”). Impatience shows that we are concerned only with our personal schedule than the needs of others.
When can we live at peace with others? (Romans 12:18 “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”)
It is said that we must practice to take a deep breath or count from 1 to 10 when an uncontrolled temper is about to happen; and seek out help from others to learn how to deal with chronic anger appropriately.
Life is colourful. Be patient; let’s be the kind of person to protect our loved ones from unnecessary disappointment. Let us not miss the opportunity to show them the glory of God through our lives as we age. It’s not late to spend more time in our spiritual well-being.
