Patience

We have heard "patience is a virtue." Actually it is one of the "seven heavenly virtues named in a poem called "Battle/Contest of the Soul" written in 410 B.C.  The author of the poem, Aurelius Prudentius, proposed these seven virtues to directly counteract the seven deadly sins (pride, envy, lust, anger, gluttony, greed, and sloth).   Patience, one of the virtues, means the pursuit of peace.  Patience is also listed as one of the fruits of the spirit in Galatians 5:22.  And, further we have the idiom, "patience of a saint."  So, from knowing this, we can tell that patience is an exemplary quality to have.  Having patience is dealing with people and situations with perseverance and composure in a calm, quiet, and steady manner.  Patience is having forbearance and self control through moderation in trying circumstances.  Patience is enduring pain, misfortune, affliction, or hardship without complaining.  Patience is unhurried, tolerant, and accepting.  Impatience, its antonym, is restlessness or being short tempered, frustrated, and discouraged.  There are  two wonderful analogies that can be made of patience in action:  a game of chess and a cat stalking a mouse.  Wayne Dyer had this to say, "Being infinitely patient means having an absolute knowing that you are in harmony with the all-creating force that intended you here.  You know that everything will happen at just the right time, at just the right place, with just the right people."  Confucius (551B.C.-479B.C.) said, "Do not be desirous of having things done quickly...looking at small advantages prevents great affairs from being accomplished.  He is asking us to look at the big picture.  The execution of patience manifests in confidence, decisiveness, and a feeling of peaceful satisfaction at reaching a goal or resolving a challenge.  In the Al-Anon Family Groups' A Courage to Change, it is noted that, just when we reach the end of our patience, a doorway seems to  open and we suddenly take a huge leap forward.  We see that none of the time that has passed has been wasted.  Although a Turkish proverb states:  "Patience is the key to paradise," to reach this paradise it takes "patience!"