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. As the supporter of a survivor, learning to be truly patient can give you the ability to assure them that you really do care about them as an individual. You are not going to pressure them to change; you’re going to do this on their timetable, and give them the power to make their own decisions.

It’s a complicated subject, so please read each post for this month. For now, though, remember that God is patient with each of us because of God’s great love for us.