There is a biblical saying, “Lord, Please show us the shortness of days so that we might have wisdom of heart.” Life is short. At some level we all know that, and so we rush to complete all that we think we must do in order to live a life of no regrets. We get swept up in our accomplishing, doing and achieving so completely that we miss out on the natural order of unfolding, and anguish and tremendous imbalance are the result. In our impatience, we create the very scenario that we hoped to avoid. Jesus asked, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?”
Through patience, you can possess your soul. When you catch yourself speeding through life, when you feel you must meet expectations and that so much is being left undone or that you’re not succeeding as quickly as you think you should be, you must remember that real growth doesn’t come from pushing through or breaking out of anything. Rather, it comes through a gentle melting in. The path of patience asks you to be okay with what is, stare it straight in the eye, and open to and learn from what’s happening rather than contracting into fear, frustration and a hidden drive to meet your expectations at any costs. We must remember that when everything has to be right, something usually isn’t.
