Patience: The Virtue We Often Forget
“Patience is a virtue, possess it if you can. Seldom in a woman, never in a man.”
My grandmother would recite this line whenever my impatience bubbled to the surface. Whether I was eagerly awaiting a treat or getting frustrated with slow-moving people, her reminder was a gentle nudge toward a quality that seems to be disappearing in today’s fast-paced world.
We live in a culture of instant gratification, where waiting feels like an inconvenience. From fast food to high-speed internet, everything is expected to happen now. The moment things don't go our way—when we get stuck in traffic, deal with rude people, or face delays—frustration and impatience take over. We often justify it as righteous anger. But is impatience really the best way to handle these situations? The Bible offers a different view. Patience, in the biblical sense, is more than just tolerating delays. It’s an expression of faith. The Apostle Paul tells us that patience is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), something that should naturally flow from a heart connected to God. I find in my life that patience is an active choice, not a passive virtue.
I have just spent 11 hours in an airport waiting for a plane that never arrived. What I learned from that day is that patience isn’t about simply sitting back and waiting quietly. It’s about resilience and maintaining a sense of calm while navigating difficult circumstances. Patience requires endurance, much like running a long race. It’s about focusing on the bigger picture rather than letting the little frustrations wear us down.
While impatience often leads to quick outbursts, rash decisions, or venting our frustrations, the practice of patience teaches us to pause and consider a more thoughtful response. It helps us avoid unnecessary stress and conflict, allowing space for reflection, understanding, and ultimately better decisions. In the case of an extended airport delay it also leads to great conversations, new friendships and camaraderie.
In a world where we’re constantly rushed, cultivating patience can lead to a more fulfilling, less stressful life. It allows us to embrace the reality that not everything will happen on our schedule, and that’s okay. For the Christian patience is a sign of strength and maturity, helping us to grow in faith and live a life marked by grace. For anyone, by practicing patience, we not only improve our own well-being but create a ripple effect of calm and understanding in the lives of those around us. That has to be a good thing, a thing worth waiting for.
Aloe Vera Ambitions: Patience in Planting and in Life
I was standing in my kitchen, casually sorting through the post when an almighty crash echoed from the window behind me. In a flash, snake-like green tentacles, edged with sharp teeth, slithered past my legs, leaving slimy trails across the floor. Alien invasion? Not quite. It was just my overly large Aloe Vera plant, which had finally outgrown its pot and decided to make a bid for freedom.
The sight of my beloved plant sprawled across the floor gave me the perfect excuse to take some cuttings and grow a new one – a smaller, more compact, less like Medusa on a bad hair day. With a quick search online, I found instructions that seemed simple enough. Fast forward 24 hours, and 14 fresh cuttings were sitting in pots. My vision of a perfectly sized Aloe Vera plant was well underway. There might even be a few to give away! Four weeks later, the dream died – quite literally. All of the cuttings were dead. So, undeterred, I took some more cuttings. This time, I followed the steps with even greater care. Fourteen soon-to-be plants now sat on my windowsill. Three weeks later, I was left with six dead and two that looked like they were on their way out. An improvement, but still, my dream of becoming Cherry Willingham’s resident Aloe Vera expert seemed a distant hope.
When things don’t go as planned, it’s easy to feel disappointed, get impatient or give up, just as we might when our life dreams don’t seem to be working out. The temptation to yank up a healthy cutting just to check the roots is strong, even though it would ruin its chances.
The Bible is filled with stories of people whose dreams or promises seemed like they were never going to happen. Take Abraham, for instance, who was promised to be "the father of many nations" – a promise made when he was 75 years old and childless. Or Joseph, the one with the famous Technicolor™ coat, who dreamt that people would bow down to him, yet found himself thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, and later imprisoned. But eventually, he rose to become a leader renowned for his wisdom (you can read more about this in Genesis 37). And let’s not forget Abraham and his wife Sarah who, despite their age, had a child together. There are countless examples of dreams and promises that seemed impossible, but two key lessons emerge from many of these stories. First, if God makes a promise, He keeps it. And second, alongside hard work, perseverance and patience play a crucial role in seeing our hopes come to fruition.
So, should I plant some more cuttings? Well, maybe that’s a lesson in perseverance for another day!