Sure she needed faith, a sure belief that something can happen, so that she would try to read, but that is just the beginning. Now comes the work. You have to keep holding on to your faith even when, especially when, reaching your goal doesn't come easy. This is called patience. With patience, you blow away the clouds of discouragement which can obliterate your hope; you can make it through all the setbacks and difficulties, and you can arrive at where you want to be.
The problem is that we want things, "Right Now!", and I'm not just referring to three year olds. Reality is that no one can learn to read fluently in just five minutes. Some things simply take time. You can't change, learn, or build character instantly. New habits aren't formed after one try, and old ones don't go away just because you don't want to do it anymore. Even in a world which clammers for instant gratification, some things just won't comply. Skills still must painstakingly be learned, relationships must always be lovingly nurtured, and character only flourishes with patient development.
Sometimes our patience is tried when things don't happen when, and how, we want them to happen. As my years amass into decades, I am gaining a little perspective. So many things that I thought were wonderful ideas-- weren't! So many things that I thought should happen now-- really shouldn't!
For instance when we were first married, my husband and I decided that a certain job perfectly fit his qualifications. The interview went well, but he didn't get the job. We were crushed and confused. We had felt so right about it. The next year, the interviewer helped my husband get the same job, but in a different town. The year before, we hadn't known the place we really wanted to live, but we did now, and our new job made it possible to live where we knew we wanted to raise our family.
Another example comes from just a couple of years ago. I was very ill and prayed for the Lord's help, so I could get better. Instead, I became terribly ill. This is where the sustained faith, patience, comes in. I kept praying and doing all I could. Finally, I had the definite feeling that we should move to another town. This didn't seem very logical. We had lived in our town for 40 years, our family and friends were here, our home was paid for, my husband's retirement businesses were flourishing, and our youngest daughter just had a baby who was having difficulties. Now, we were going to move far away to a town four hours south of where we now lived?
Remembering all our past experiences when our "great knowledge" wasn't so "great", we decided that we should take this gigantic leap of faith. I kept murmuring, though, about how I couldn't see how moving four hours away was going to enable us to give more support to our daughter's little family. I was sure wrong! Within a year's time, our daughter, her husband, and baby moved near us. Instead of the hour, or two, freeway fight to their home, they now lived just ten minutes away -- easy babysitting distance!
So what did I learn from all this? Mainly, I learned to trust the Lord. He can see the "big picture". He knows the right timing. He can help me reach my righteous goals even when they seem impossible; even when there seems to be no answer. All I need to do is to quit trying to trust in, "Me and My Little Brain,*" as one story puts it. I just need to try my best, have faith and patience, hang tight, and it will happen. It may not be, though, in the time, or the way, that I had in mind -- it will be better than I imagined!
I love this analogy of how to develop spiritual understanding.
41 But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life. Alma 32
* a children's book in the "Great Brain" series by John D. Fitzerald
Continue in Patience video
No comments:
Post a Comment