Streams of Comfort

This dialogue explores what patience can realistically look like. I think oftentimes we view patience as mostly internal and do not give much thought to the external. I like to think of patience as a total body experience where you are strengthened against the strain of negative emotions. With it guiding us to act peacefully even though the circumstances we might find ourselves in are anything but. As you read, I hope that you take some time to think about how patience might be developing in your life and how your actions stem from it.

“What are you doing?”
“I’m waiting,” I respond,
Not sparing my friend a glance,
As I keep my gaze focused on the still lake,
With no fish in sight.
He glances at the water and then back at me,
“I’m not sure your doing this right.”
I had been standing in this spot for an hour and nothing had happened.
I feel irritation slowly rise within me and seep into my vocal chords,
“Look, I’m just following the direction given,
I was told that I need to use patience in order to catch a fish.”
He nods in agreement.
“That’s true.”
“And so, I’m using my patience.
Once I have waited long enough the fish will come to me.”
Soft laughter erupts from where he stands next to me,
I lift my gaze for a moment and give him a sidelong glance,
“Is this funny to you?”
“Sorry,
But are you expecting the fish to just jump out of the water and straight into your arms?”
I let out a sigh in frustration,
“That’s what patience is, it’s waiting without giving in to negative emotions or trying to do things in your own power.
Also, there is such things as flying fish,
God can do that if he wants to.”
“True,
But patience is not doing nothing,
How do you expect to catch a fish if you don’t cast a rod?”
I fall silent as I realize I had not thought about that,
I guess I was just waiting for God to do something miraculous.
After a moment I respond,
“I guess I never thought that far,
I just tried to do what I was told.”
My friend pats me on the shoulder,
“Patience is given life through action,
If you are doing nothing it’s meaningless.
You use patience in situations and circumstances where you have no control,
And it makes you more resilient.”
He pauses thoughtfully for a moment and then continues,
“Think of it like this,
God provides the fishing rod and the fish.
You cast the rod and wait,
And patience keeps you from giving up on the fish God has provided.
I think over his words and glance down towards my feet,
Where I notice a fishing rod.
“Did you bring this?”
He grins,
“I thought you might need it,
All that’s left now is to catch the fish.”
He turns to walk back up the path,
Lifting his hand up in a relaxed wave,
“I’ll catch you later.”
I watch him walk off and after some deliberation decide to pick up the rod,
As I wind the line and cast the rod into the lake I wonder what kind of fish will appear,
And if I have the patience needed to wait for it.