PATIENCE

Few years back, I was discussing with one of my course mate and friend while in school, and he said something that pushed me into thinking; he said that “Patience is a virtue given to mortals to scale through the challenges of this short life”. Afterward, I kept asking myself a lot of questions about patience and I finally came to realize that patience is not only a virtue, but a life formed in extraordinary men/women over time. So whenever you are patient with a situation or a person, you are just showing how extraordinary you are.

Growing up as a farm boy, this analogy has kept me going hitherto; Patience is one virtue all farmers possess, in fact, no one can be a successful farmer without patience. From day one of the farming season, to the last day of harvesting, patience keeps the farmer going. The farmer clears the field, ploughs it, plant/sow whatever he want to plant/sow, wait for the rain and ensure to carry out all other processes that will lead to a bumper harvest at the end of the season and wait for months for the harvest season to arrive. These processes require patience because they take several months depending on the kind of crop planted.

Patience and waiting are two side of the same coin, thus one cannot give a complete and a successful story of patience without waiting and vice versa. Patience simply means the act of being patient; patient is content to wait if necessary and not losing temper while waiting. Just like the farmer, in this journey and pilgrimage of life we all need patience if we desire to arrive safely. Life will haul at us tough situations and difficult people that only patience can handle. Sometimes in looking and searching for something, you have to wait, hence you need patience. To survive generally especially in this era of change, we all need to integrate and internalize patience as a principle of life. To live life to the fullest and fulfill our life's dreams, goals and aspirations, patience is paramount. When you are truly patient, you are being spiritual because patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is God's will that you exhibit patience in every little detail of your life.

Let’s not forget that life is not a bed of roses and it has never promised us a smooth ride, but there is always a promise of sufficient grace. Long days and weeks of suffering will come, dark hours will come and things may not work out as planned; such experiences make patience a necessity in life. Patience is that still small voice that tells you to stay a little longer when and where others are backing out, it is that which separates you from the rest and make you the best. Patience sees beyond now, it is never discouraged by present hardships and situations, but firmly believe there is always light and ray of hope at the end of the tunnel.

Many mighty men and women in the past through patience carved out their names in gold, through patience they left legacies and through patience they received what was promised to them and regained what they have lost in time and space. Yet many promising men and women in the past misused their life’s vision, sold their birthrights and some even received curse instead of blessing because they all lacked patience. We don’t only need patience for situations and circumstances of life but it is very crucial in bearing with the daily shortcomings of others.

What patience cannot give you, be rest assured that impatience cannot in anyway or measure give you. Why the rush? Why the hurry? Why the haste? No matter how clear the revelation of your life’s mission or vision is, just know that patience is its litmus and ultimate test. If God himself has been patient with us in all our feebleness, what other excuse do we have not to cultivate the life of patience? “…Take tender care with those who are weak, be patient with everyone” (1 Thessalonians 5:140