What is patience? It’s more than just waiting. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary says patience is the ability to accept obstacles or delays in a calm and self-possessed way; the ability to act with calm or restraint under provocation or strain; the ability to persevere over a long period of time despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity.

So you can see that patience is different from waiting. People can force you to wait but no one can force you to be patient, because patience is an attitude that we can choose to develop. Being patient requires strength, discipline, and even sometimes courage. But it makes life easier because it can cut down on the friction and frustration of waiting. And for those of us who are survivors, learning to be truly patient can give us an awareness that there are things in our lives that we can control. We are no longer children, powerless in the face of abuse.

It’s a complicated subject, so please read each post for this month. There are some situations that we should never be patient with. For now, though, know that God is patient with each of us because of God’s great love for us.