“PUNCTUALITY, PATIENCE, AND PRACTICE”
KJV James 1:4: “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
Sometimes I get exercise, even in areas that don’t relate to any part of my physical anatomy.
Take today at Planet Fitness as an example.
My wife and I went there to work out. Silver Sneakers is a wonderful program, in large part because it is free.
I had told my sweetheart that I was going to do a longer workout today, and perhaps she should take her Kindle or a book. “Are you going to go anywhere?” I asked. “No,” she replied.
However, as she finished her own workout, she asked if it would be okay for her to run over to Wal-Mart. “Sure,” I said. However, she decided to go to Kroger’s to pick up some groceries as well. So, I waited.
And waited . . .,
And WAITED!
Okay, so I didn’t really wait that long. Perhaps it was half-an-hour. However, since waiting time often seems longer than real time, it probably wasn’t even that long.
But here is the amazing thing: I really didn’t get terribly upset.
That might not be amazing for a normal human being, but I am not usually a normal human being. I can’t tell you the number of times (but it was a lot) that I have gotten furious about these kinds of things in the past. I said harsh, hurtful things that I later regretted. I’ve wasted hours pouting, making both my sweetheart and me unhappy. When the kids were little, they also had to witness my multiple temper tantrums. What an absolute jackass I was!
So, while I was glad for my response this time, this little incident helped me to acknowledge how wrong I had been in the past. I asked my sweetheart’s forgiveness, and she graciously gave it.
Another thing: As I reflected on this little non-drama, I realized that I was actually continuing my exercise program. I was exercising patience as I waited for my wife to pick me up. Virtues are gifts from God. They are, however, gifts which need to be unwrapped and exercised for them to be able to grow and do their job.
The real issue wasn’t punctuality at all. The real issue was patience. Today, I bench-pressed a few pounds, but it’s a beginning. Tomorrow, perhaps I’ll be able to bench a bit more. Opportunities for patience abound. I just have to make good use of them.
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