Lessons in Patience

Ahh. Christmas Break has spoiled me. I don't want it to be over. The extended amount of time to relax, not having deadlines, late nights, sleeping in, spontaneous adventures, fun in the snow, time to think, fun times with family and friends... I don't want it to end. It's been good though; I am quite thankful for all the memories I've made over break. And, although I hate the feeling of Christmas being over, there's something fresh and rejuvenating, hopeful and exciting about starting off a brand new year. 

January always makes me look forward to everything that is coming up in the next months, throughout the course of the year. Currently, I'm already counting down the days until graduation, numbering the months till my calculus exam (signifying the end of a strenuous and complicated course), looking forward to mission trips, summer adventures, beginning the next chapter of my life in college, meeting new people, and experiencing new places. These fresh beginnings even make me think beyond the scope of the year, imagining where I'll be next year this time, five years, even ten years from now. 

Through all my excitement, dreams, and restlessness, I've been accepting that God is trying to teach me patience. He's teaching me several things, but patience is toward the top of the list.

Nearly every part of me wants to skip ahead, be done with high school and move on with life. I am always ready to jump ahead, ready for the next thing before I'm finished where I'm at. And recently I've been wrestling with the concept of patience and waiting, wondering why all this waiting is necessary and why time seems to tick the slowest at the most inopportune times. 

As I anxiously ask these questions, I've been feeling God gently reminding me that I need to be patient and learn to wait, being content right where I'm at, so I don't miss out on what he's placed in front of me right now, on opportunities, relationships, and learning experiences that will help me grow. 

I feel like God has been telling me to stop worrying about the future and just enjoy the moment He's given me, because one day I'll look back and wish I could return to these days and relive this time of my life. And time is something I often take for granted, forgetting that another day is never guaranteed.

Through this recent struggle for patience, I have learned a significant truth: The act of patience brings about trust and reliance on God. 

Having to wait on God to unfold His perfect plans for me in His perfect timing causes me to lean on him for everything I need, and to know that He has already taken care of the unknowns and even the simplest details of my future. Take away the waiting, the anticipation of things to come, and I begin to rely on my own strength, thinking I have all the answers, and to try to have plan my life out far in advance. What a reminder to slow down, embrace the moment I'm given, and to make the most every day, because life is short, it is sweet, and it is a gift.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

-Philippians 4:6-7