Patience

[Anonymous]

I got this quote from my Daily Gems subscription.

Quote:

“Patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can—working, hoping, and exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!”

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Continue in Patience,” Ensign, May 2010, 57

I really like it, particularly for its application to each of us here as we try to patiently stay LDS. We may not like all the aspects of the church, but we have chosen to remain therein because spiritually we are nourished in some way, even if only because we are familiar with it. We often have to “endure” lots of things at church that we may not like or agree with. But I think there is value in the patient participation, staying and working and hoping, even though we may wish for more.

[Anonymous]

I like the phrase “All things come to he who waits”…as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to be more patient with things in my life.

I remember Ghandi, in the movie Ghandi (played by Ben Kingsley) was being interviewed by a reporter. The reporter asked him about the length of time he’d invested in working for Indian Independence from Britain and when it might happen. He replied “after the second world war is over, independence will fall from the tree like a ripe apple”. At this time he’d been working for such independence for decades, and still patiently waited for it to fall in his lap as he worked resolutely to make it happen.

I view many situations like that right now. Patience gives time for desired situations to ripen in their own time, and they do eventually fall from the tree like a ripe apple. And when they come, they are yours – not something temporary because you forced the situation.

It’s the mindset that also brings peace. You don’t need things RIGHT NOW to be happy, you can wait for them, and its satisfying to visualize that apple eventually falling from the tree while you keep your inner peace, in spite of the challenges.

[Anonymous]

Euhemerus wrote:

We may not like all the aspects of the church, but we have chosen to remain therein because spiritually we are nourished in some way, even if only because we are familiar with it.

I really like this thought.

It reminds me of one of my favorite Maxwell conference talks that I carry around in my planner with me…

Neal A Maxwell wrote:

Many parents love and care but experience unreciprocated love. This is part of coming to know, on our small scale, what Jesus experienced. Part of enduring well consists of being meek enough, amid our suffering, to learn from our relevant experiences. Rather than simply passing through these things, they must pass through us and do so in ways which sanctify these experiences for our good (see D&C 122:7). Thereby, our empathy, too, is enriched and everlasting.

Thus life is carefully designed to produce for us, if we are willing, a harvest of relevant and portable experience.

Neal A. Maxwell, “Enduring Well,” Ensign, Apr 1997[Emphasis added]

[Anonymous]

I really like the riping and falling off the tree analogy. I have started gardening in the past few years and that really teaches you the value of patience. Opening a flower or picking a fruit before it is ripe is not good. Patience has always been difficult for me, even as a small child. On one hand my impatience motivates me to get going and get things done. On the other hand it’s not always done well. I think we all have areas where we are patient (like I am very patient when wrapping a perm, or doing hair), but impatient when I am hungry.

Patience, when it comes to spiritual things means being able to trust God or trust in Christ. Trusting they know what is best for me and when and how that should happen. I read a book recently called “Emotional IQ”. 20/20 had a segment on this book and showed that children that never learned delayed gratification could not wait or be patient for things they wanted. This is something I have been trying to practice lately.

Here is another definition of patience that I like: “Patience is letting your motor idle, until the light turns green.” Waiting for God to show me when the light says “Go’ has been difficult, but thank goodness God ignores my pleadings at times for things I want that may not be good for me at that time.

[Anonymous]

Same with me Bridget. I like to get results effciently, and as immediately as possible. Not gratification, but results. And I like to do so efficiently.

This is one reason I find Church so frustrating. The Stake, on one hand, would demand results. But the people I was leading weren’t interested in results. They didn’t feel the same sense of urgency as the Stake (and myself). So, here I was, caught in the middle — being ground upon by the Stake, and yet met

with indifference by so many people in my stewardship.

I’ve decided that should I become a priesthood leader again, I WILL ASSERT MYSELF TO THE STAKE. They will be told, in kind, gentleman’s language, with respect to “back off”. I will move at my own pace. And if they decide to release me, then fine, the pay and benefits aren’t that great anyway.

If they leave me alone, I’ll keep plodding.

As Covey said “When working with people, slow is fast, and fast is slow”.

You get more eventually by wanting less immediately. Another paradox.

[Author]

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