"It is easier to find men who will volunteer to die, than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience." --Julius Caesar

We tend to want God to answer our prayers, not only affirmatively, but also immediately. Patience, however, is a necessary ingredient that we must learn by observing how much greater God can bless us if we can only wait. We must trust God's timing in responding, which is usually far more methodical than we deem prudent. We must also learn to be patient with the people around us, understanding it to be a virtue that we surely also need from others when we are creating the bottleneck or difficulty. The impetuosity we say we want from God is regularly punished among men when we act or speak hastily. We must likewise learn to be patient with ourselves, when growth is not quick enough, or progress is measured by two steps forward and one step back.

"You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand" (James 5:8).