Patience.

“Ask and you shall receive.” —  The Lord really showed me the true meaning of this last Friday.

It’s Friday morning. I remember the night before, I asked the Lord to please grant me patience in everything that I need to do…. and praise God He did…of course..in HIS OWN WAY. It was a very typical Friday morning — I woke up, got ready for work and left the house for work. Literally, as soon as I got on the train to head to work, (fyi, the train was supposed to be an express train), the ambassador announced that the train that I am on is not gonna be an express one but an all-stop one. So instead of being able to get to work in 30 mins, it’s take me about 45 mins to an hour. I’m not gonna lie, I was a little upset already cause I feel like I was gonna be late for work.. but at that point, there’s really nothing that I can do. And then, I thought, that’s it..but no… the train took longer that expected, people got too impatient, the train became so packed, people started complaining, etc… and of course, I was one of them… scared of getting late for work…I became really upset.. although I kept telling myself it’s okay…I can’t help but to become more upset…. And then finally, we reached Union Station.. It takes me about 15-20 mins to walk from Union station to my work place. Literally, I was rushing out of the station, then for some good reason, every single person in front of me was just walking so slow… I was about to complain again, but then I remembered what I prayed for the night before… PATIENCE… and literally right when I remembered this, I just laughed at myself and told myself “It’s okay… I think I failed the test.” I’m pretty sure, the Lord was just laughing at me for there I was asking for patience, but not being ready to be really patient. Ask and you shall receive….quite literally.

So many times have I lacked patience. So many times have I prayed that the Lord would just give it to me now..not later..but now. Countless times have I complained…not being able to wait for the Lord’s time. A very simple morning for me, but the Lord truly gave a powerful message. As St. Teresa of Avila said, “Patience achieves everything.”

The Lord calls us to be patient — Patience with Him, that everything we prayed for and all of His plan will happen in His time. Patience with ourselves as Lord is patient with us, to realise that His grace is more powerful than our weakness, and to admit that most of our life is patiently stumbling along with His help. And finally, patience with others that we may be more understanding and would have that childlike trust in the Lord and all His plans.

I was reading a book and came across this beautiful prayer. I know most of us know the first few parts of this prayer..

God, give me grace to accept with serenity, the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it, trusting that You will make all things right, if I surrender to Your will, so that I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen.

Praise God!