PATIENCE
(March 26)
“But give rather the spirit of whole-mindedness (σωφροσύνης), humility, patience (ὑπομονῆς), and love to Your servant.” (Lenten Prayer of St. Ephrem, Part 2)
As the Lenten season proceeds, and certain difficult situations in my life do as well, I am grateful to be reminded of God’s Spirit of “patience” or “hypo-mone“ in Greek (from “ὑπό” meaning “behind,” and “μένω” meaning “to remain”), which is a “remaining behind” and waiting things out, even when the going gets rough. “Behind” what? Behind the secure borders of “the God-zone,” if I can put it that way. When things change, or don’t change quickly enough, in the Spirit of “patience” I am reminded that time is a blessing, not a curse.
Today let me be embrace “the power to wait,” as patience has been called, rather than be frustrated by powerlessness. Let me be slowed down and embrace God’s good will for me, which brings me good things in His good time. “But give rather the spirit of whole-mindedness, humility, patience, and love to Your servant.” Amen!
