I was speaking with a friend from back home several months ago, and he pointed out that if we pray to God for patience, He may not necessarily zap us with a lightning bolt and make us more patient. Instead, He may give us opportunities to be patient in our daily lives. As we make the choice more and more to be patient, we end up weaving that choice into a lifestyle. And in that way we can become more patient. I thought it was a very intriguing way of looking at how/why/to what extent we become patient in our lives. Patience doesn't just entail passively waiting for a better experience. Sometimes our patience can be expressing through actively engaging with the world around us. I'd venture to say most of the time this is true.
I work with a man who holds much more conservative views on theology and politics than I do. Over the past few weeks we've had bits of conversation ranging along that spectrum. I say "bits" of conversation because its mostly been discussion in passing; a few minutes at a time. We haven't actually been able to sit down and discuss things at length. I look forward to having that conversation with him, though. Although at times I am taken aback at his views, many of which I find myself disagreeing with, I have recognized that my own views on politics and theology are always evolving as I learn more, understand more, and yes, am exposed to differing viewpoints. It is often when we come across vastly diverging viewpoints and perspectives on a certain issue that our own opinions and convictions come to light. Which I believe is a good thing, because then you have the chance to reflect on them and consider their strengths and merits and if, indeed, they should change. All this takes patience, because it takes time to have a discussion. It takes time to reflect upon one's own notions and perspective on the world.
But I see where I need patience in other areas. I've realized that my job itself requires patience on my part, since it takes time to learn all the ins and outs of being an engineer at this company. Sometimes I find myself becoming very impatient with my own perceived shortcomings. But then I remember that technically I'm still new at this. As another coworker told me, "Don't beat yourself up too bad. I've been doing this for 20 years and I still screw up this stuff." Patience can take many forms, and often it means being patient with ourselves.
I don't know where you stand on the benefits of being involved with a church community, but since I've moved to Lynchburg I've been searching for that community. I've been visiting various churches around here, which isn't too difficult considering the vast number of churches in this area. One thing I realized last week was that basing a faith community on only one Sunday visit wouldn't really be very useful. I've been attending a local church for about a month, although not on consecutive weeks due to various things. But to really get a feel for what a people believe in and how they live it out, it takes time. At times I'm frustrated that I've been here for over four months and haven't found a "church home", but now I'm seeing it in a different way. These things take time and patience on my part. So I'll probably be visiting churches a few more times while becoming more involved with this current one.
I'm reminded again of how God weaves our lives into stories with different chapters, characters, plots, and yet tying them all together for a purpose. I'm looking forward to seeing how my story goes over the next few months. It should be a good read.
