July 24

PATIENCE MONTH: DAY 24: “Restlessness and impatience change nothing except our peace and joy. Peace does not dwell in outward things, but in the heart prepared to wait trustfully and quietly on Him who has all things safely in His hands.” ― Elisabeth Elliot
There is no sense in being impatient with those things that are Universally created, which is everything! A baby takes nine months to come to maturity in order to meet life with everything it needs for life. All of Nature takes its’ time to ripen and grow and mature and then die. Growing things, people, animals, all of it!
There is no way to say what constitutes a life anyway. Some live for moments after birth or are not born alive. Some folks live to be 100 years old or more. I know a man who is actively striving to live over 100 years…he is an amazing example of peace, serenity, and lovely energy. I thoroughly enjoy speaking with him and whatever we talk about it always uplifting. I hope he makes it for a very long time, because his philosophy and enjoyment of life are inspiring and lovely to witness and experience. His wife is the same way. They are in their 80s and so different from some of the other folks I know in that age range.
But some folks are here to live for 12 years or 120…we don’t know and we don’t get to do much about that. The process of life is going to have its way with us, and it really is best to take it as it comes instead of trying to push it to fill the mold of what we think it is supposed to look like.
I am in no hurry to age any further than I already have, yet I do want to live this day fully, just in case it is the last. The only way I could learn to live “one day at a time” in the beginning of this deal was to tell myself I was going to die at midnight. It helped, because I could stay focused on the things that were really the most important for that day.
There is nothing I am waiting on that is going to rush because I am being impatient. The lawn in my yard will not grow any faster than it is going to grow, nor will my tomatoes ripen any faster than they do, nor will my life rush to accommodate my lack of acceptance and serenity. So I have learned to sit still with what “is” and let go of what I want and be at peace that there is something driving this blue marble that is much smarter and more in tune than I will ever be. Things always work out for the best possible outcomes for everyone…I tend to forget that and want to drive the big bus…a scary plan for sure!