Isaiah 40:31 (KJV) But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint.

More than likely we have all prayed the prayer “Lord make give me more patience… and do it now!” When it comes to spiritual virtues, patience seems to be the one that eludes me the most. If I am to be honest, it can just be plane hard to wait sometimes.

Think with me for a moment, how do you feel when you are running late for an important meeting and you get caught in traffic. Or when you are in a rush and the person in front of you at the check out line decides to tell their entire life story to the clerk. Oh and not to mention they have 17 items in the 15 items or less line. I know they had 17 items because I counted then when they placed them on the counter.

When life or individuals do not measure up to our expectations, patience can be quite a challenge. But, it is hard to read the Bible and not see that patience is a trait God desires for us to develop. I believe that patience is a reflection of His very presence in our lives, because He is a patient God.

You see, there is a good probability that we struggle with patience because we have been trying to focus on our own agendas and not trusting that God may very well have a different schedule for us. I believe that God sometimes puts us in a waiting room on purpose. I feel like He is doing something behind the scenes while I am waiting.

He could be protecting me from something that could be harmful or even fatal to my life. He could be instructing our lives to open an opportunity for us to be a witness to someone He has placed in our lives at that very moment. What you and I see as an inconvenience could very well be a divine appointment in our lives to let our light shine.

One thing I know for sure, God’s time is always the right time! As we enter this Christmas time and all that it brings with it, lets not allows ourselves to become so stressed that we miss an opportunity that God may have orchestrated for us.  Patience is not learning to wait for others, its learning to wait on God. Next time you find yourself starting to stress, stop and ask God what He is trying to show you. Take a deep breath and trust that He is at work in your life everyday.