PATIENCE is the ability to
withhold judgment,
praying that another will see
his wrong, turn from it,
and learn something valuable
from the experience.
It is refusing to put oneself
in the position of judge,
but walking alongside another,
sharing my experiences
and what I have learned
so that the other can learn
from my wrong choices.
Patience is thinking beyond myself
and my discomfort;
it is knowing myself,
my strengths and weaknesses,
and it is taking the time
to learn to know and understand another
before I speak.
Patience is not quickly acquired.
It is often acquired
through humbling life experiences.

Another word for patience is longsuffering.
It is earning the right to speak
into another’s life,
“hanging in there”
until the other is ready
to view things differently.

Patience is a fruit of the Spirit.
It takes time to grow and develop.
We cannot grow it in our lives,
but we can co-operate with the Gardener
as He cultivates the soil and prunes our limbs,
so that the fruit of patience grows.

Twila – June 2006


Gardens are a part of summertime activity.
We anticipate the growth of what is planted
but we cannot make it grow.
Our job is to cultivate the soil, pull the weeds,
protect the plants from foragers,
see that the water supply is adequate,
and wait for God to do what He alone can do!
Our involvement in the process is not a passive one;
we are to be active in our waiting!