I like this Chinese proverb, “If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow.” Hi, I’m Tom Ellsworth from Sherwood Oaks Christian Church with a minute message.
Patience may be a virtue, but it’s not easy to develop. How do you act when you are stuck in a slow moving checkout line or traffic that’s inching along? In this demanding journey we call life, most of us are hardly patient. By the time we pay the cashier or exit the highway, we’re so stressed it takes longer to calm down than it did to wait through the delay.
Here are a few ideas to help in such moments of impatience: First, stop and take a deep breath. Secondly, rank the delay on a scale of 1-10. Only allow yourself to be annoyed at the highest scores. Thirdly, use that time delay to plan the rest of your day. And, fourthly, take that opportunity to offer a silent prayer – pray for the checkout clerk or the other drivers stuck in traffic or for your own positive attitude. It’s hard to be angry while you pray. God’s Word teaches, “Be patient with everyone!” Try that and you’ll escape a hundred days of sorrow.