Patience

 

Patience is a quality of heart that can be greatly enhanced with deliberate practice. ~ Dr. Richard Carlson, Ph.D.

Patience is a gift of time. It is a state of allowing yourself and others to take their time, to be who they are and to wait. It is a very kind and loving action, but it is not easy. It takes practice.

It is said patience is a virtue and in the Bible there is a verse that starts with: Love is patient… (“Love is patient, love is kind” (1 Corinthians 13:4–8a)). Could it be said that patience is a form of love (as is kindness)? I believe it is. Patience may not always be the easiest to deliver; but, it is readily available in our hearts to give when we deliberately think about it and practice it.

Patience is definitely a quality of the heart. The more we practice patience, the more enriched we become as human beings.

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Why?

Why does it take the worst of events to bring out the best in people? ~ Dr. Angela Kowitz Orobko

It was my intention to write about a totally different topic today, but when I learned of the tragic events that occurred in Colorado this morning I cannot help to wonder why anyone would deliberately cause such an act of terror. I will never understand deliberate actions that result in violence and the outcome is hurt and/or death. However, among all the ugliness of the unfolding events, love and hope manages to find its way to comfort the survivors.

May God bless all those who were directly affected today. May He comfort their hearts through the loving actions of others who have come forth after this tragedy to console and help them. May the horrific actions of one man NOT taint the hearts of the survivors. Let us not let evil win over good. This brings to mind one of my favorite Bible quotes: For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 God does understand our sorrows and He does love us. It is hard to see that right now, but His love is infinitely abundant and eternal.

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Practicing Patience

A gift of love and kindness is made when practicing patience, especially with children and those with less experiences. ~Dr. Angela Kowitz Orobko

There are times in our lives when holding our actions and our tongues are easier, but there are many times when it is harder. It is important to take a few moments to remember who we are, who they are and what kind of outcome would we like to see during these harder times. It takes self-discipline and patience.

Children and many adults can try our patience, but when we choose love, compassion and understanding, the outcome of the situation raises our level of energy to one that is more positive. Being love for each other is what Jesus would have us do because ultimately it brings out the best in everyone involved in those trying situations in our lives. It creates a life with little regret. It creates a joyful existence for ourselves where we bring joy and happiness to others through the practice of patience.

This brings to mind one of my favorite Bible verses:

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

New International Version (NIV)

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Consider mentally stepping back from any situation, whether sitting in heavy traffic, in the office with a menacing co-worker or with your more petulant than usual loved ones at home; and, take ten seconds to breathe slowly, and tell yourself, “I am where I need to be; worry and other negative feelings is not going to change the situation; choosing love and joy will make me feel better and may make the situation better for others, too.” Mentally rehearsing these statements in neutral/positive times will make it easier to put it into action during those negative times when you need them the most. Practicing patience truly is one of the best gifts we can give each other (and ourselves).

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Master the Moment

Most people have heard of living in the moment and enjoying that moment as a remedy to worries of yesterday and tomorrow; however, people can do more than that. People can master the moment by deciding how they are going to be before that moment comes. As with any event in our lives whether positive or negative, we can decide how to be before an event occurs.

Currently, when people move into any moment,  it is rare that they predetermine their states of being. They wait to see what the moment contains and provides. Then they respond or react by being something: sad, happy, angry, delighted, disappointed, or elated.  Suppose they considered how they were going to be when they moved into that moment. For example, suppose they decide to be loving or compassionate, no matter how that moment showed up. Is it possible that it would make any difference in the way people experience that moment? Of course it would!

It is when you decide how you are going to show up before the moment shows up that you have begun to move in to mastery. You have learned to master the moment, and that is the beginning of mastery of living. When you decide ahead of time that  your inner state of being is going to be peaceful, loving, compassionate, kind, sharing and forgiving, no matter what, then the outer world loses its power over you.

In the New Testament of the Holy Bible, in Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 12, verses 9 – 14, apostle Paul said, “Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor. Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality. Bless those who persecute [you], bless and do not curse them.” Anticipate one another in showing honor. Anticipating the moment and showing up in love honors God and it honors humanity. After all, you are a human, being.

 

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Value of Wisdom…

She (wisdom) is a tree of life to those who grasp her, and one is happy who holds her fast.

Proverbs 2:18

As people grasp and hold onto wisdom, the tree and foundation of life, they will find themselves happy. Wisdom comes from clarity and comprehension of all the activities and events in our lives. The challenging part is recognizing the wisdom that comes from trying to comprehend the events in our lives. Some lessons in life are either too complicated or so simple that we often miss the wisdom from them. Keeping our hearts and our minds open to seeing things differently will permit us to have clarity.

For every given moment in our lives, we have been given the power of choice. We can choose action or inaction. Through reflection we can see consequences and rewards for every choice we make. When our choices promote love and kindness, the echoes of these positive choices are endless. So are the echoes of indignation and negative choices. A chain of events will be set in motion. Whether it will be a positive chain or negative chain depends on our choices and our reflection of the wisdom we gain from the events in our lives.

There are so many choices we make daily. Most decisions we do not even think about. Consider and truly reflect upon all the choices we make every day. Will you choose to interact with others and the world in a positive or negative way? Will you smile more? Will you worry about things for which you have no control? Will you use your money on something that will give you immediate gratification; or, will you share it toward a worthy cause? Will you share your time with others, use it productively, or waste it on something frivolous? Will you use paper or plastic bags at the grocery store; or, will you have the foresight to bring reusable bags with you? Will you reuse items in your household that you would normally toss into the garbage and give them a new purpose? Perhaps if we reflect more on each choice, we may gain more wisdom.

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John 3:16 Day

March 16 is dedicated to the John 3:16 (of the Christian Bible) the most popular Bible Verse and one of the most significant verses in the New Testament. I am taking this opportunity to share this as it is one of my favorite Bible verses! God’s love is great. My heart is filled with joy knowing that I am blessed to be able to share this along with my love, kindness and compassion with each of  you. I have a profound desire to be an inspiration to everyone. It is amazing how interconnected we are and how much we can affect each other with the smallest of gestures. It is also quite empowering to know that we can choose to make someone’s day with the simplest of gestures of love…a smile, a greeting and loving words. May my words continue to inspire you. 

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Agape Love

In the Greek language there are 3 types of love: agape, philia, and eros. Agape, which is an unconditional love that most people strive to express to their loved ones but always fall short because we have not truly experienced it directly except through our own beliefs in God, the Creator. Unconditional love or agape love has been explained as that paternal love of God for humans. It is that divine, self-sacrificing, active, volitional and thoughtful love, which has been expressed by Jesus and God in the Bible of the Christian faith; as well as other prophets in other religious content.

Agape love is quite spiritual in nature as it is a type of love that originates from one’s soul. It is a feeling that looks beyond all faults and failings even if it is criminal or perverse.  It is truly very difficult if not impossible to truly express agape love to everyone. People tend to be judgmental especially when it comes to violence and perversion as one does not want to condone or approve of such negative activities. It is impossible to look beyond criminal and negative activities and still continue to love those who acted with criminal intentions. Nonetheless, agape love needs to be considered if people are ever to experience worldwide peace. Yes, it will not be easy, but nothing worthwhile is ever easy; but, consider the joy that will be felt by all when agape love is experienced and expressed by everyone.

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