Oh to have the patience of a bee as she seeks nectar to sup from the open cup before her.
There’s a leisurely lingering, a sense of being perfectly present to the moment that is wonderful to witness.
I watched them quietly going about their work as I sat in the garden last summer. Bees buzzed soft and slow, moving around petals with patient persistence, seemingly in no rush to move away from the fragrant offering in their reach.
It was soothing to my soul and instructive too. Because, sadly, patience tends to be in short supply with me.
As an ex-nurse, I am typically not a great patient myself. I’d rather be the one doing the caring than being the recipient.
I’ve been moved to pray about it many times. The result? God seemed to send several situations all at once, enough to try the patience of a saint. Who knew?
Developing the fruit of godly patience is all about daily endurance, bearing up under trials, yielding to God as we learn to live and love sacrificially.
[bctt tweet=”Patience needs to have her way in us so that we can mature as Christ followers.”]
We can learn how to be content and at peace in the midst of thorny circumstances, able to see and sense the beauty flowering within them.
Thankfully, my beloved husband has patience in bucketfuls. Turns out that God knew he’d need it to be wed to me.
If our patience is in short supply, then where do we turn?
I’ve found the best place is to turn to God in prayer and to His book of Life and Truth, our road map for living and loving – the sanctuary of the Scriptures.
There we learn how patience is part of the fruit of the Spirit within, a sign of change and transformation that starts with the heart.
Brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ~ James 1:2 – 4 (NKJV)
A life surrendered to Jesus Christ is a work in progress in all areas, an opening for His goodness and grace.
[bctt tweet=”We are weak, broken and wounded souls on the way to becoming healed and whole.”]
We are also children of God, bearers of Christ’s light and love and heirs of promise.
As we listen well, heed what the Bible has to teach us, become more sensitive to Holy Spirit’s voice and instructed by the wisdom He imparts, we will learn how to live more content with who we are and our unique place in the world.
What happens when we yield and allow patience to have its way in us?
Well, it hurts at first. Our souls resist the necessary moulding that shapes us into becoming more Christ-like.
We become more acutely aware when we are far from patient, see our need to grow in this area, to surrender our impatient souls to God’s refining process.
And those bees? They continue to teach us things. Their nectar gathering is only a tiny part of the process of honey being produced but they go about their work with a calm dedication to the task at hand.
[bctt tweet=”May we sense our small role in God’s huge scheme of things and have patience in playing our part.”]
We’re not all honey makers, but we are all glory revealers, grace givers and Truth sharers as we live out our calling for God.
Words of Joy 
I need more patience, too, Joy, especially when it comes to waiting out the Lord’s will and way. May we be dedicated to lean on Jesus and open our hearts to the Holy Spirit’s voice! To have even a small part in God’s grand scheme of things can be so humbling, can’t it? With all our impatience, He is so patient with us and still uses us to His glory. Amazing grace! Blessings and hugs to you, my friend!
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Trudy, these words are rolling around my mind in gratitude to God: “With all our impatience, He is so patient with us and still uses us to His glory” Yes and amen – such amazing grace; such love! I echo your prayer. Let’s “lean on Jesus and open our hearts to the Holy Spirit’s voice!” That way we discover all the resources we need to live Spirit-filled lives. And let’s rejoice in the part we play in God’s grand scheme of things. Blessings and hugs to you, dear friend!
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The opposite of impatience can be a growth point too, speaking as someone who is often told she has boundless patience, Joy! I sometimes find I let that patience and waiting mature for so long, I then end up wishing I had “seized the moment” more decisively, or sooner, instead of seeing others jump in ahead, or missed opportunities. Whether we’re patient or impatient, I’m sure God continues to teach us how best to live in the rhythms of His timing, delighting to see us working together, playing our part in the heavenly hive, contributing to the making and spreading of His honey! What a thought-provoking and beautiful blog post. Blessings xxx
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Joyce, thank you for sharing your perspective as a person who has boundless patience. Jealous, moi?! I’d never quite looked at it as a potential disadvantage as such. Being a more impulsive kind of person myself, I have to reign in my tendencies to seize the day/moment or (more frequently) find them being held back naturally by the draining demands of chronic illness. The pulling back can lead to frustration but it does eventually help me to develop patience! With your calm, prayerful and methodical way of doing things, I’d be surprised if you didn’t hear the whispers of Holy Spirit urging you to act where necessary.
God is so desirous of helping us to live “in the rhythms of His timing” that I’m convinced if anything is particularly time-dependent it would be impressed on us somehow. Just like we sense Holy Spirit nudges to take time out to rest and be refreshed. They can be hushed or ignored of course, but we do well to pay attention to the impressions and imprints left on our minds. I love the idea of a “heavenly hive”! May we all continue to do our part to spread His honey around to others. Bless you for taking time to visit and leave a lovely comment! Xox ❤
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Joy, love THIS: “We’re not all honey makers, but we are all glory revealers, grace givers and Truth sharers as we live out our calling for God.” Blessed to be your neighbor at Coffee for your Heart this morning. Patience truly is a virtue, isn’t it?
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Hi Tara. It’s good to see you here mid-week! What a blessing to have you as my neighbour today. I’m glad you found something to speak to you. Yes, patience truly is a virtue and one I fervently wish I possessed! As it is, God’s got His work cut out developing it in me. At least it means I’, aware that those rare times when I am able to act and react patiently are because He is equipping me to do so. 🙂
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We can learn so much from nature. Just taking the time to observe her brings us peace, and sets our hearts in tune with God’s rhythms, and voice. So beautifully expressed here, my friend!
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Indeed we can, June. I love the way you view things via your lens with a keen, observant eye which appreciates the beauty in your environment and looks beyond it too as you focus closer still on God’s hand at work in creation. It certainly helps stir gratitude as well as bringing inner peace to our souls as we observe and meditate on these things. Thank you for adding your thoughts to the conversation here. Bless you, my friend!
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I love how God worked on your heart and soul in your journey to patience because you just beautifully shared the fruits of God’s truths with us. I am in awe of how God blesses you and each of us with His beautiful truths and then gives us the courage to share with others. That is exactly what you did here.
There is so much goodness in your words…”Developing the fruit of godly patience is all about daily endurance, bearing up under trials, yielding to God as we learn to live and love sacrificially.” I love how you described patience. You remind us at the end that we are all “glory revealers, grace givers and Truth sharers as we live out our calling for God.” That is what I want to strive for in my life. I am blessed by your beautiful words today.
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Thank you, Mary. I can’t pretend the learning and developing part is easy but I am reassured that patience will have its way in growing us as we yield to Holy Spirit’s conviction. The words here are born out of painful experience, so often the hardest yet best way we are transformed from the inside out. I see the fruit of yielding in your life and words, my friend. Anyone reading your blog can appreciate how you are beautifully living out your God-given calling with courage and grace. And I think it’s often a case of surrender rather than striving (especially of the fleshly kind), which brings us to a point where God gently changes us as we rest in Him and are obedient to His voice. I’m blessed as always by your sweet encouragement and company on the pilgrim path.
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