You are working my last nerve. UGH! What is with this traffic? The cashier is ringing the items for the customer ahead of you much too slow for you. Is this familiar?
We don’t have patience for anything anymore. We live in a microwave generation. We want what we want now without much waiting. Five, fifteen minutes tops, anything over that we must have something to stimulate us from thinking about what we are waiting on. Each generation has speed up; my generation is faster than the one before me; the generation before me is faster than the generation before it. This generation of today can make a person dizzy; waiting is not an option. Yet there is something wonderful about waiting. Let’s take a look at those examples I used before.
1) Why would anyone or anything be working our last nerve and why is it that we only have one nerve left?
We would not become impatient with a person or a thing if we took the time to understand that person or that thing. If it’s a person, why not ask the person who’s irritating you to help you understand why he/she is saying or doing something that you do not comprehend? You may find that once a dialogue is formed a compromise may come about or an ability to see something much clearer than your idea of thinking has become beneficial. If it’s a thing and it’s something that you can learn; why exhaust your energy on a non-thinking; non-speaking; non-breathing object which does not have the ability to control you but vice a versa. Learning can be its ability of purpose and that there may or may not be anything that you can do to resolve the situation. However, you do have the ability to become smarter by avoiding the situation in taking another approach or come to the realization that you must adhere to this object and you just might as well make the best of it.
2) Traffic can be avoided. You drive daily along a certain pattern. Why? You should always have an, a-b-c game plan when it comes to traffic. Stop playing follow the leader and take another route home or to your destination. I’m a native Washingtonian of the District of Columbia. The first thing I learned when I was growing up is that Washington, DC is a huge circle and no matter where you are if you should get a bit off track you will always find your way back to your route. Another thing I learned is that there are a few monuments that can be seen in any direction depending which way you are facing. The Monument; the Capitol; the Jefferson Memorial. Last know your itinerary; have telephone numbers of friends, family, emergency and non-emergency available.
3) If you think that the customer ahead of you is a problem or that the cashier is the problem. Read one of those magazines that is full of nonsense. It’s untrue but entertaining, one time I picked up one of those stupid gossip papers where Elvis was spotted. I glanced through the entire paper free of charge and by the time I finished I was next to be rung up. Then you may find a customer who is friendly and you can strike up a positive conversation; have a giggle. Who knows you just might meet a true friend this way.
There are so many things you can do to take your mind off of yourself and the growth of patience. After all when you find yourself in short supply of patience it’s because you are focusing on you which leads to stress; which leads to lack of patience.
So when you think that others are getting on your nerves; deal with this.
Love is patient and kind. 1 Corinthians 13:4
GOD will test you with the use of people; places and things. Will you pass the patience test?
Patient endurance is what you need now, that you will continue to do the will of GOD. Then you will receive all that HE has promised.
Hebrews 10:36
GOD blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. James 1:12 (GOD does not temp; HE does however test)
When you feel you can’t wait on GOD any longer and you jump in and take over. Messing the whole thing up.
The scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for GOD’s promises to be fulfilled. Romans 15:4