Patience, tolerance, and acceptance are three principles that I have to work on each and every day. The world today moves at a break-neck pace and sometimes I forget that everyone has their own rate of speed with which to do things. It’s not really up to me to tell other’s how or at what pace they should be doing something. I need to accept that things are exactly the way they are supposed to be and are under God’s control.
As a teacher of twelve and thirteen year olds, I’ve over the years developed a high level of patience. But there still remain those days when I can get really frustrated with someone and have a hard time dealing with it. I’ve been known to say during the school day, “Jesus, please help me.” And when I do that, I’m not casually throwing those words out there. I actually do need his guidance to lead me to do what He would have me to do.
I have to accept that everyone is not as I think they should be… I don’t know what’s best always for myself, so why would I think I would know what’s best for anyone else? Others are usually doing what they think best at any particular point in time and it’s not always for me to dictate how or if they should change what they’re doing.
Above all else, I also have to be patient, tolerant, and accepting of myself. I can be rougher on myself that I would ever allow anyone else to be. It’s the nature of the beast to want to do out best, but we’re not looking at spiritual perfection, but instead are depending on progress we slowly begin to see.
David Lee
David Lee 