Patience - A Season of Waiting.

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"Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.  You also, be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand."
James 5:7-8 ESV

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Many of us have heard the phrase, “Patience is a virtue”. But have we really stopped to think what exactly it means to be patient and why it should be a virtue for us all? While the scriptures often emphasizes the importance of patience, we now have quickly forgotten the very idea and the reason we have to tolerate seasons in our lives to realize incredible fruits of blessings.  
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Advancements in technology have brought us many good things. But, one entity it has also brought forth from the depths is this nasty character of impatience. We live in a generation of the instant; where we all need things done as soon as we begin them. We expect to have things in our hands right after we order them, we expect a perfect relationship with our partner without putting in the effort or expect growth in our businesses just as we set them up. While these are rather simple examples of impatience, we realize a similar pattern through our journey of life. 

If I’ve ever learnt anything during my time on this rock, floating in the nothingness of space, it is the importance of patience and the attitude of unhealthy expectations.
Here’s what I have learned about patience;

There is always a Season of Waiting.

The Scripture often emphasizes the fact that when you are under a season of sowing, you will eventually experience a season of harvest. While this is absolutely and truthfully accurate, most of us forget the fact that right in the middle of the seasons of sowing and reaping, there is a season of patient waiting for the harvest. This may take a week, months or even years, but the harvest is always so much better than the former seasons.

Abraham, a friend of God, serves as the best example to portray the picture of patience in our minds. The story does not have to be retold, but the impatience of Abraham had produced a long chain of consequences. While patience seem like a concept from the twentieth century, we require it now, more than ever. To be patience and realize the incredible blessings on the other side.

Try not to Expect

Being the middle child in our house, my brother and I often felt ignored and left out of all the events that would take place at our abode. It wasn’t the best feeling growing up, but now, I see my childhood as a period of learning the harsh realities of adulthood. We often expect to have things a certain way or events to transpire just the way you see it. We now understand that the world does not have to comply with the wishes and needs of our minds. In the Scripture, of all the incredible miracles done by Jesus, not one of them were like the other. Every one of them were different and in the most unexpected ways. Similarly, expecting things through our limited imagination and expectations takes all the fun out of what God has in store for us.
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Learning these few vital traits has enormously helped me tread through life in check with His schedule and not my own. 

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GUEST BLOGGER - ALWYN FERNANDO

Alwyn Fernando, a fellow creative in the community from South Asia , who loves a great conversation loves Jesus even more.  He enjoys sharing His love for the Lord through through photography and illustration.  Find him on Instagram at @itsalwynfernando.