patience and silence
"Patience is a virtue but I don't have the time.” - David Byrne
How many of us can honestly say that we are patient? Some of us might be patient in some ways but not in others. We might be patient with our family, for instance, but then find ourselves getting irritated when the person in front of us at the checkout is taking too long.
It is hardly surprising that we are impatient. The news is available almost instantly now and advertising tells us that we need their product NOW. A lack of patience, though, can also be destructive, particularly when we become angry or frustrated with ourselves or with others. It is possible too, of course, to use patience as an excuse to do nothing about something which we really ought to, such as seeing a dentist when we have toothache but claim that if we are patient, it will go away; a very unlikely situation.
Few of us will see impatience as a positive thing and may feel a twinge of envy when someone we know seems calm and composed and happy to wait for things to improve when we are floundering around trying to MAKE things happen.
This can also apply when we pray, especially when we pray for something to happen (or not happen). The reality though is that some things we really don't have control over. For example, if we plant some seeds in the garden and get angry and shout at them, nothing will happen (aside from us becoming frustrated). There are so many things in life that we need to allow to happen in their own time, if they are to happen at all. As we sometimes say, 'if it is God's will'. And perhaps this is where trust in God becomes important: accepting that we cannot always determine how things will turn out, or even whether the things we hope for are what we really need.
While asking God for things is fine, it is also important to allow God into our lives and the best way to do this is through our silence. This applies to our prayers , where our stillness allows God to speak to us in the silence. But it also means allowing our voices, both external and inner, to become still, releasing our own desires and placing our trust in God to provide what we need rather than what we might hope for, but which may not be right for us.
