Patience is a tough thing to grasp. For example, when one is sitting in class and the teacher goes into overtime, it’s so much easier to wiggle in one’s seat rather than pray for patience. But do the wiggles really solve the problem?

It’s Wednesday and as I pulled my limp body from the bed this morning, I thought Let the games begin. I have been waiting for this day for a week now, but it seems like much longer because time has been dragging. Now, my impatience increases. I am awaiting an incredibly important phone call from home that could come anytime from this morning to Friday evening. If the phone call is good news, it’s been one that I’ve been looking foward to for over a year now. If it’s bad, I’m crawling back between my covers for the next three days. The phone call could end a year of suffering or continue a time of hardship. The wait has been intensely nerve wracking and starting today, it’s only going to get worse.

As a result of this, I’ve been very wiggly and ansty (more so than normal), and sometimes I have to just get up and walk around my room for a minute. It hit me this morning — instead of wearing holes in my carpet, maybe I should just look upward and ask the Big Man for some patience. I’ve heard people say that this really works and for a long time, I didn’t believe it. But a few weeks ago, in my English class I got to the point where I just couldn’t sit still any longer and there were still fifteen minutes left in class. So, I gave it a whirl and He gave me patience. Actually, He probably doesn’t give you patience, but helps us find it when we are overlooking it. Whatever it is, though, it’s a tough thing to grasp because being nervous or anxious are our first reactions to times of intense wait, be it the end of class or an important phone call.

So, the next few days will find me on campus somewhere talking out loud to God for patience or sitting in the chapel begging Him to calm me down. And when that phone call comes, I have two intentions for which I’ve been beseeching God. I hope that whatever happens, it’s God’s will. God could want nothing less than happiness for us. I also pray that I am around my friends. Until then, however, I will be praying perpetually for patience. It really is a tough virtue.