Patience Is a Virtue.

This last Sunday my friend Anthony told me he was disappointed I hadn't blogged in a week. I told him I had until Tuesday, but truth be told I was in a bummer mood and in no way felt like writing a blog post that was substantial or insightful.

But upon reflecting on my bummer mood and why I was upset, inspiration hit.

I remembered a talk my friend Karli Low sent me probably a year and a half ago during a rough spot in my life. I found it still saved on my computer and as I read it, I found that it correlated with what we had talked about in Relief Society and Sunday School that day and that it applied to the reason I was upset in that moment.

It was a talk given by Neal A. Maxwell in 1979 on PATIENCE.

He says "Patience is not indifference. Actually, it means caring very much but being willing, nevertheless, to submit to the Lord and to what the scriptures call the "process of time."

Patience is tied very closely to faith in our Heavenly Father. Actually, when we are unduly impatient we are suggesting that we know what is best--better than does God. Or, at least, we are asserting that our timetable is better than His. Either way we are questioning the reality of God's omniscience as if, as some seem to believe, God were on some sort of postdoctoral fellowship and were not quite in charge of everything."

I have realized that I am not a patient person. It KILLS me to wait for things to happen. I know there are many times I try to rush the Lords time table for me. I have a hard time just relaxing and remembering that he has a plan for me and that it'll all unfold in the "process of time." I just need to remain faithful and put my trust in Him, which is a lot easier said then done.

In the scriptures there are many examples of where the Lord tried the patience of the Nephites in conjunction to trying their faith. He tried them as he saw fit and we are promised that if we endure it well and cheerfully we will be blessed.

Oh how I needed to read that...and this

"Paul, speaking to the Hebrews, brings us up short by writing that, even after faithful disciples had "done the will of God, they had need of patience" (Hebrews 10:36). How many times have good individuals done the right thing only to break or wear away under subsequent stress, canceling out much of the value of what they had already so painstakingly done? Sometimes that which we are doing is correct enough but simply needs to be persisted in patiently, not for a minute or a moment but sometimes for years. Paul speaks of the marathon of life and of how we must "run with patience the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1). Paul did not select the hundred-meter dash for his analogy"

We can't just do what we think the Lord wants for a day or two and call it good and think that our trial of patience should be over. To reach full progression we might need to deal with it for months or years.

I know this is getting way to long. I know I don't like reading long Blog Posts no matter how good they are. So I'm just going to end with these scriptures found in James 1:2-4 and 5:10

"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing... Take my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord for an example of suffering and affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful (compassionate) and of tender mercy"

To me this means be grateful for your afflictions. The prophet Joseph Smith referred to his time in Liberty Jail as a temple. While it was one of his greatest times of trial and struggle the Lord blessed him with an increase in faith and gave him guidance. I know that If you bear your trials well you will be blessed and will end up better off. We cannot know joy without sorrow. The Lord gives us trials because he knows we can handle them and wants to increase our faith in Him and make us stronger. I'm grateful for opportunities to grow and to appreciate joy.

Thanks Anthony for helping me turn my frowny face upside down and looking at the bigger picture of what the Lord might be trying to teach me. I needed that.