Patience (noun): the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.
It is said that “Patience is a virtue.” But I have realized that it is very hard to be patient. Sometimes, in this fast-paced life, we want instant gratification. We are accustomed to social media, phones, instant answers and constant comparisons. The question of, “When will it happen for me?” can seem to linger in many different aspects of life.
Developing
I read something the other day that said, “What if we did not feel like we were being delayed? What if we realized we were being developed?” This completely shifted my mindset. In the “waiting” we can quickly lose track of the “developing”.
In life, we have a list of things we may want. When looking at the big picture, we may not be ready for all that we want. I am a firm believer that God gives us our blessings at the exact right moment. There could be something I really want BUT, if I have not been developed enough, if I lose my patience and get it too soon, I may not cherish it the same. I may be able to see it but some parts will be blurry.
The image I like to use is the old pictures that you develop in a darkroom. It requires so much patience. You must have the perfect mixture, the perfect temperature, the correct lighting, and leave the film in for the necessary time in order to develop the perfect picture. If you pull it out too soon, you will see the picture but it won’t be as bright. The picture may be missing some details that, had you just been patient, would have all been there.
Worth the Wait
Everything that is good is worth the wait. You will never say, “Why did I have to wait so long for this?” but you will say, “This blessing was worth the heartache, worth the struggle, worth all the hard work because, now, I can truly cherish all of it.” Whether it be a job, a relationship, finances, having a family… let yourself continue to develop so, when your day comes, you are ready. When your day comes, your picture will be bright. All the details will be crisp and you will know that God pulled you out of that “darkroom” at the perfect time.
