All About Your Patience

All about how you view it… All about if you have patience… It could have been ruined, if we let it. It could have just turned so negative, but we focused instead on patience and the joy of the occasion and time.

So last evening I went to dinner with my friend to celebrate her birthday. She brought along her seven year old grandson. Now I have grands of my own so I’m used to dining with them. Sometimes they need something to do or a different item from the menu.

When I sat down the waitress came over and brought waters. My friend was not there yet, she came very shortly. When the waitress took our drink orders and returned. I asked her when she had a minute to please bring a cloth, my side of the table was sticky.

Proverbs 19:11   NIV   A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

She took our order and brought back the dip for us – before dinner.  We needed to order something a bit special for the grandson. No problem there. She pretty quickly – and I’m thankful for this speed, especially when you have kids  - the meal came but no cloth.

Ecclesiastes 7:8   NLT   Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride.

The first man to bring our food was setting the plates down and I asked him not to put them on my side yet that the table was sticky. He left and left the food on the tray by our table.

Colossians 1:11   KJV   11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness

Another man came and was trying to deliver our foot to the table and again I asked him not to do that – we just asked the other man to clean the table – so he left. 

1 Timothy 1:16   NIV   16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.

Then a lady came and wiped down the table and our waitress served our food.

Colossians 3:12   AMP   12 So, as God’s own chosen people, who are holy [set apart, sanctified for His purpose] and well-beloved [by God Himself], put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience [which has the power to endure whatever injustice or unpleasantness comes, with good temper]

After dinner we ordered dessert, it was a Sophia which comes with honey and plenty of cinnamon sugar on it but she did not bring napkins. We asked another man passing to bring napkins, he left and when he came back he had the napkins but went to an empty table and began setting it up then left. We had to wait on our waitress to come back and ask for more napkins.

Now all of this could ruin a meal. We had some conversations, some food and some issues. It’s all – really – in how you look at it. No doubt this restaurant was busy at this time. Prime dinner hours. She might not have understood what I was asking – the language barrier. All of these things could have annoyed us to the point of asking for a manager or just leaving without tipping, but we did none of that. We enjoyed the company, enjoyed the food and left happy and full.

Why allow situations like these to dampen your good time. Why let the enemy have that stronghold on you.

I had a terrific time. I was with my friend and her grandson who is just about as cute as a button! He is about to fly to see his Dad for the summer in Florida and I told him to put his feet in the sand when he goes to the beach and wiggle them around then giggle… He thought that was funny.  We all grinned at that.

There just isn’t any reason not to exercise patience, even when it’s hard. Even when things keep going wrong. Leaving full and happy is so much better than leaving angry. I feel like that would have messed up my whole evening and possibly caused me to not sleep well – dwelling on it.

Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father – first and most importantly thank You for the gift of patience. Thank You for letting me see and understand that this was the best way to view the situation yesterday. Please always remind us especially in those moments when things can go south pretty fast to have patience and perseverance. I ask this for me, my family and my friends in the name of Jesus - AMEN