I like to think I am a virtuous woman, but when it comes to the virtue of patience, I came out on the short end of the stick. I have never liked waiting for anything. When I was a child, I would wear a pair of shoes a full size too small if it meant I didn’t have to wait till we found a pair that actually fit. When I knit, it’s seldom a complicated pattern because I want it done yesterday. Cliff Notes are my friends. So are cake mixes and instant mashed potatoes. I’ve always been in a hurry.

There are some things that hurrying just doesn’t help. Teaching a baby. Getting your husband out the door on time. Baking bread. These things take whatever time they take. So does recovering from surgery. I have so much swelling in my neck, it looks like I have a goiter. I don’t like it. I want it gone. But, do you think that’s going to make a bit of difference? Nope! I lay down to read in the afternoon and sleep three hours. My body is telling me what to do, and whether I like it or not, I must listen. 

We opted for an affordable room over one in close proximity to a beach. It’s spring break and we wouldn’t want to be mingling out on a beach anyway. We decided yesterday to sit alongside the pool and read. I lasted ten minutes. The sun was SO hot it burned my tender skin clear through two layers of clothing. We came back up to the room, I stretched out to read and…bam. Three hour nap. We wanted to get to a beach to see the sunset, but we ended up driving around looking at retirement communities and browsing a huge antique store.

It was a good day. We had leftovers from Carabba’s. We chatted with the kids and looked at pictures of their snow. And rested. That’s ok. Sometimes patience is all we have.

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“Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying.”

Romans 12:12 CEV