Patience...

Patience—it’s one of those words we love in theory but struggle with in practice, right? Whether it’s waiting in line at the drive-thru, waiting for test results, or waiting on God’s timing, it’s not easy. Romans 8:25 reminds us that waiting is part of hope. It’s not about sitting still; it’s about trusting that something good is coming, even if we can’t see it yet. Maybe your patience is wearing thin already today—but remember, every delay isn’t a denial.

Sometimes, God’s “not yet” is His way of preparing something better than we expected.

Romans 8:25 “But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.”

I think no matter our situation, timing is always the issue when it comes to patience.

We have to wait for so many things, and after a while, that waiting can make five minutes seem like hours.

We want things done in our time, and often there are a lot of factors that disrupt our timing—like people, traffic, computers, the weather… the list could go on.

In those times, we can grow in frustration, or we can grow in patience. When we choose patience, we have more peace and an acknowledgment that everything will work out just fine.

Two of my kids are driving now, and as we are going through town, I often remind them that there is no need to try to speed up or race in front of someone just because they might be going a little slow.

People go at their own pace… our oldest is nonstop, our middle does things at his pace, and our youngest is free-spirited, so everything is done with a little whimsy.

Over the years, I have had to learn that I needed to loosen up a bit because if I tried to force my schedule on them all the time, there were more of us frustrated and upset than we needed to be.

God knew what I needed to learn about patience, and it has taught me a whole lot.

All is in His timing, and when we learn patience, we are more likely to move at a pace where we miss less of what God has for us.

Delays really try our patience, don’t they?

Let’s say you are on a flight trying to make it home, but it is running a bit late, and you know that you have a connecting flight that you have to make at the next airport. That slight little ten-minute delay can cause great anxiety and frustration because you just want to get home.

But what if we looked at that more like a way to trust and have hope that the people who run the flights will recognize that your flight is behind and then adjust the time to the next flight? This doesn’t always happen, but we can still be hopeful.

This may not stop you from running—literally—to your next flight, but I bet there is still some hope that you will make it in time. And once you do, you take a deep breath because all is fine. Everything worked out so good for you.

Don’t let your impatience overcome your hope.

You ever notice how the slow line at the grocery store always seems to be your line? Or how the light turns red just as you pull up? Patience gets tested in the smallest moments. But those little moments teach us big things—like grace, endurance, and trust. God uses the waiting room of life to strengthen our faith. So next time you feel your patience running out, maybe take a deep breath and say, “Okay Lord, what are You teaching me here?” Because He’s never wasting your wait.

Romans 8:25 “But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.”

I have to tell you, nothing makes me feel like my time is being wasted like a doctor’s office. You make an appointment but don’t get called back until 20 minutes after said appointment, just to then sit in another smaller room by yourself for another 30 minutes.

I always wonder why we even have to make an appointment if the doctor is going to do what they want… but what I’m not thinking about is that maybe this doctor is running behind, they had to take some extra time with a patient, or maybe their day isn’t a good one.

There are many factors when it comes to what is happening in people’s lives that can change the plans you have set or that they have, but we absolutely need to remember to meet others with grace.

Showing grace can be what turns their day around.

Just as often as we are looking for teaching moments with our kids and grandkids, God is looking to teach us as well. He will use any and everything to do that teaching.

I remember this one time I was leaving work, and I got out to my car, and it wouldn’t start. My battery had died. I called my husband, who was still at work, and he told me to call roadside assistance… I got frustrated because I thought he would come to my rescue, not tell me to call someone else. Plus, I knew how long roadside assistance could take. I called, and they told me it could be an hour or two before someone could help me. So, I sat there and waited. I couldn’t do much else, could I? I was then shocked and very happy that someone showed up just 30 minutes later.

Sometimes things just don’t go our way, and we have to wait for the right time for things to happen. And sometimes it is because we are patient that we learn, discover, grow, and receive much quicker than we thought we would.

God’s ways are better than ours.

Romans 8:25 “But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.”

Patience doesn’t always look peaceful. Sometimes it’s messy—tears, prayers, and choosing to trust again and again. But Romans 8:25 says to wait confidently. That’s the key. Confidence that God’s promises don’t expire. Confidence that what’s ahead will be worth it. So, whether you’re waiting for healing, clarity, or a breakthrough, remember: God’s timeline isn’t late—it’s layered with purpose.

Out of everything this world has taught us, the biggest thing is impatience.

I’ve seen kids have meltdowns because their devices weren’t working the way they usually do. Adults can be just as bad. I’ve had moments with this one computer here that I just want to toss out the window. Why? All because it moves slow. The efficiency and speed we once had are gone.

But it doesn’t just stop with devices, does it? It can be any and everything in life.

We need to slow down a bit. We need to know that not everything has to be done or answered in the snap of a finger.

Let’s evaluate ourselves when we are feeling frustrated… is it caused by impatience?

Waiting confidently can seem impossible.

I don’t tend to wait confidently; I wait anxiously. I wait thinking of every scenario. I also wait in hope as well.

But waiting confidently means that we know God is in full control and that no matter the outcome, all will be okay. I can tell myself that, but it’s another thing to believe it and accept it in full confidence.

When we release our control, we can better learn to confidently wait, knowing that with God, all is for our good no matter what may come.

Remember that patience isn’t just about waiting; it’s about how we wait. It’s choosing to rest in God’s faithfulness even when the road feels long. Romans 8:25 reminds us that hope and patience walk hand in hand.

When we trust God with our timing, we’re saying, “Lord, I believe You’re working, even when I don’t see it.”

The wait may be long, but the outcome will always be worth it when God’s the One writing the story.