patience

My mom told me today that I have a tendency to be impatient...I guess it's true.  I think it has to do with not trusting that the good will happen...so I want what I am hoping for to happen soon to reassure me it will ever come to me at all.

I guess that's where faith comes in.  And I suppose that's where trials can come in handy...all of that "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverence" that James talks about. 

Maybe perseverence isn't such a bad thing after all...especially if it does lead to being "mature and complete, not lacking anything."

And maybe perseverence is hinged on knowing that what you hope for is coming after all...and with that comes patience and trusting that the timing will come together in the end.

Maybe trials and perseverence and suffering and patience can be good things.  Even when in the midst of things, it can all seem rather dark...

So maybe patience is the answer and not something to be resisted and complained about in blog after blog. :-)  Maybe the answer is to learn from it, let it be given as a gift from God, something learned in the midst of the circumstances.  A lesson learned with trust--trust that we can get through it.  Trust that the trial will not last any longer than we can endure with the help of God.  That when we get weak, help will be there.  And we don't need to worry that it will go on forever.  We can keep the end in sight along with the one who holds that end in his hands, and hold on, trusting him to be our deliverer and make us strong.