Romans 5:3
It seem none of us like waiting, we all have an impatient streak in us. We have instant coffee, instant loans and instant mobile phones. Our impatience is shown when driving and waiting in queues. As we see in Romans, endurance is a virtue as it develops strength of character. Psalm 40 v. 1 tells us ‘I waited patiently for the Lord.‘ There is a value in waiting, it gives us time to think, time to decided without being rushed and making mistakes, a time to listen.
The other day I was waiting at the chemist for my covid jab. The lady sitting next to me, who was also waiting, started to talk. For the next 20 minutes I sat and listened. She needed to talk and unburden her problems. I couldn’t do anything to help her but listen. It was a privilege and I was glad I could do it.
I’m sometimes impatient in watching my garden grow but then I realise that if a plant takes a long time to come into flower, then it will be in flower for longer. Being patient and waiting could prolong our lives; I read in a medical journal that worry and rushing can shorten our lives. We can wait, enjoy and saviour the passing moment, but they are all passing and will not come again. When we were 18 we wanted to be 19, now we’re 80 we want to be 19 again.