Learning to Wait

Tom Petty once sang, "The waiting is the hardest part." I tend to agree with him. It seems that life is mostly about waiting. Even at work or play, waiting is part of the process. Whether we want to wait or not, (and usually we don't), we are going to have to wait.

Sophia is impatient. If she gets thirsty, it's right now. The pronouncement is followed by a move closely related to the two-step. It's like a hostile pee-pee dance, complete with tears. During these moments, we encourage her to wait (or sometimes we rush to do what she wants so she'll quit throwing her fit--we're trying to stop doing this. It's bad).

I have found myself growing impatient with Sophia's impatience. I tend to get grumpy, and then I snap. I realize that the best way to instill patience in a child is to model patience for them (along with heavy doses of instruction, practice, and correction). The fact is I don't like to wait. I want to eat when I'm hungry; I want a drink when I'm thirsty. I have learned how to wait (I'm not an expert, but I have had to wait some). I also know it has taken me a long time to get this far. Yet, I want my daughter to be an expert at waiting at 3.

I realize that such a desire is irrational. There are very few people who like waiting. We live in an instant society where people are annoyed by the few seconds it takes their emails to open on their phones. We get mad if we have to wait on our order at McDonald's. How is a three year old suppose to learn patience in this culture? How is a thirty-five year old supposed to get any better at it?

The Scriptures call us to wait upon the Lord. We are to cultivate stillness. Rest is supposed to be woven into the fabric of our lives. Patience is a spiritual muscle that is strengthened by adversity. It can be developed, but it costs. Learning to wait may not be pleasant, but it is important.

How do you develop your patience? How have you improved your waiting skills? Leave a comment. I'll be waiting to hear from you.