“Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.” – Romans 12:12
/To wait/
To stay where one is or delay action until a particular time or until something else happens.
Such a crazy thing, waiting, it can either highlight the virtues you have or the virtues you lack. And I know a lot of us pray for this specific virtue because its so hard to fully attain because you can’t just be patient and not attain the other virtues.
And of course, if we ask God for this specific virtue, He doesn’t just want us to be given the virtue but to grow in it. He gives us opportunities to grow in patience. Patience becomes a virtue when we choose to act on these opportunities.
Maybe waiting is God’s way of saying,
.. did you expect a complete sentence? We all did. But sometimes we don’t get the answers in the time we expect or will we ever in our life time. But how many of us can say, “that’s okay, I still trust you, Lord.”
It’s one thing to acknowledge trust, but another thing to embrace it.
And recently for me, I have been given that privileged to grow in the virtue of patience in the capacity that taught me to be still. Whether its waiting for something to arrive, waiting for something to be accomplished, to the gravity of waiting for our vocation to be revealed to us.
Have you ever wanted something so bad, that you couldn’t wait, or couldn’t afford to wait because you thought you’d be “wasting time”, and you want it right now?
I can confidently say I have. All the time.
“Lord, can I have it now?” “Lord, why are you making me wait, I’m ready now”
Waiting does not mean we only seek fulfillment after the fact. It means that we remain hopeful throughout the process of waiting. In waiting, we are sanctified. In waiting, we must strive for the posture of joyful hope.
There is so much beauty in the wait. We can only see this beauty if we are not clouded of the idea in our self wants and desires. The beauty comes in the form of virtue.
Eternal Father, make me a channel of Your unfathomable love and grace so that others may find abundant life and peace in You. Continue to grant me opportunities to be patient. May I always be reminded to turn to You through all my struggles and victories. Lord, Your love is flowing into me, and I’m ever so thirsty. My cup is bottomless and I can only desire for more. Amen.
JMJ,
Diane Dimacali