"Someone rolled their eyes at me at school today," Jordan reported at suppertime.
"Why did they do that?" I asked. "Do you know what rolling your eyes at someone usually means?"
"It means don't do that or your eyes will get stuck in your head," Maddi told us.
"I don't know," Jordan replied. "But, I didn't tell the teacher…lucky for them."
Rolling our eyes, checking our watch, tapping the table–signs of impatience. Even at a young age, our human nature tells us we don't like to wait.
Patience comes from the Latin word meaning "suffering." Being patient means suffering through present troubles waiting to see hope break in.
I think a lot of times when the word is used we are referring to short amounts of time. "Help me to be patient [today]." "God grant me patience [this hour]."
I sing a song to my kids, "Have patience, have patience, don't be in such a hurry…[for this moment]."
I think patience is usually a companion for a longer road. A journey through grief, a walk to mending a relationship, continuous steps to create a new habit.
Think with me this weekend: Where do I need to practice patience? What area of my life am I trying to hurry along pretending to be patient when I really am not? Am I willing to let patience teach me a lesson this summer even if it takes longer than I had hoped?
Don't roll your eyes. Be honest. Otherwise Jordan may just tell his teacher. Or according to Madelynn you may run the risk of getting your eyes stuck.
