Love is Patient

I Cor. 13:4, NRSV

 “Love is patient, but you’re not.” Carl Geores said these words to me and my husband, Dave. It’s the line I’ve never forgotten from the sermon he gave at our wedding. It crosses my mind quite often, almost twenty years after the white dress and tuxedo, champagne toast and cake event. Mostly because it’s true.

Patience isn’t so much a virtue or ability as it is a way of living in the world. It’s more to do with putting things in perspective than putting up with delay. Patience is knowing and appreciating the fact that the cosmos doesn’t run on my schedule; in other words, it’s knowing and accepting that I’m not the center of the universe – Thank God!

Patience is enjoying the interaction with others in this wonderful world. Patience is rejoicing over the personal plans that didn’t come to fruition – and knowing that something better did. It’s the still, small voice nudging me onto a better path, granting me a blessed life. It’s a lot quieter than noisy ambition or blaring insecurity, but it’s steady and strong enough to overcome both.

Today, patience comes in cat form, asking me to take a break from laundry and writing. Today, patience sits in my lap and purrs – happy I chose giving and receiving love over getting my blog piece written fifteen minutes earlier…

For more on this Quieting Life Noise series, see “About.”