(Revelation 13:10) Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Patience is a virtue in short supply. I first noticed this when others were impatient with me when I did not always do things exactly as they wanted. Like the time we were leaving on family vacation and I decided that would be a good time to sort out my insect collection. I needed to decide which of my LIVE insects to bring on the trip. I was just doing things my own way. Needless to say, dad was not very patient with me at that particular moment.

I have learned that I also am impatient. I tend to be a person of action, someone who wants to get things done. If there is a problem, lets get the facts out on the table and solve it now. My mind often races ahead toward possible solutions. And I'm frustrated when others seem more stuck. My attitude is, "I am willing to give the subject some thought, but we don't need to leave this car in long term parking."

I have come to understand, however, that patience is a form of wisdom. When I was a child, I once tried to see a butterfly by breaking open its chrysalis. But my impatience prevented the larvae from ever becoming what it could become. Patience serves as a reminder that I need to understand and accept that sometimes things must unfold in their own time.

I have learned that my impatience has less to do with time and more to do with my desire to control. This is true in my relationships with others, but also in my relationship with God. I must become more accepting of his timing and less quick to judge either myself or others. I have discovered that God's sense of time is often very different than mine.

Real growth occurs only when I give allow others (and God) space to be themselves. Yes, I can still guide and seek council, but I must always be patient. God gives me strength to do that.

—Dick Tibbits