Advent VII

When the Holy Spirit is allowed to do His work in our heart and a spirit of patience begins to be genuinely and spontaneously expressed through our living, one thing which will surely be noted is a greater degree of contentment with a slower life.  What slows down will not necessarily be the pace of our going and coming although such could happen, but a deeper sensitivity to the present in our life.  A patient spirit helps us to pay attention to the people who are around us, to the circumstances which envelope us, and the things in front of us.  A patient spirit does not have to hurry.  It gives us time to smell the roses, or to be able to experience more fully what is going on in the right now moment of our life.

 

Slowing down is not a bad thing.  Most of us know we hurry too much for such little reasons.  I watched a guy in the car behind me pass on a yellow line only to pull off the road to his house about a mile up the road.  But, then even as it seemed like a dumb thing to do, I have done my share of them, too.  The truth is we only have one life to live.  We only have one opportunity to be useful to God.  We only have one life to play with and love the significant people in our life.   Patience causes these things to happen because it enables us to be a person who is paying attention to the moment.

 

Impatience robs us of the present moment.  It always does.  It tells us something in the future is more important and it is a lie.  It simply is one of those popular untruths that we unfortunately buy.  One of the things we certainly do not want to miss is a present moment experience of the Kingdom of God.  Jesus said it was here, now, in the midst of us.  If living at a slower more patient pace will help us experience this blessing of Christ, then apply the brakes and enjoy the day instead of just enduring it.