Patience is a Virtue…….Which I’m Working On

For those of you who know me, patience does not come easy. When I tell my kids to do something, I want it done now. When I make up my mind to do something, I want to do it now. When I plant a seed in the ground, I want it to sprout…NOW… Are you seeing a pattern here?? Hahaha

I was kinda hit-up-side the head this weekend with the whole “be patient” thing. Last year we decided to plant some strawberry patches. Great idea, right?! Put the plants in the ground, water them, watch the strawberries grow, enjoy the delicious strawberries…NO! That is NOT what happened. The place we bought the strawberry plants from told us that we needed to pull off the flowers the first year, and not to allow any strawberries to come onto the plant. That seems counter productive when planting something that provides a food source… I wanted berries! Once they started flowering, I got very excited. First comes flowers, then comes strawberries…..except I would catch my husband picking the flowers off of the plants. I was getting so frustrated because he wouldn’t allow the berries to grow! I planted the berries, and I wanted to enjoy them NOW.

Fast forward to this year, and the waiting paid off. The plants are THRIVING!!! We are getting so many berries, and they are sweet and delicious. The plants are producing so many runners which produce even more strawberries!

This went along well with a Bible verse I found. Proverbs 14:29 says “Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly”. Yikes!! Reality check for sure! I didn’t want to be patient. I wanted instant gratification, which would have caused the plants to not be as bountiful. But, because Luke gave me no other choice, we are being blessed with an abundance of berries. I guess I owe Luke a big “Thank You” for that one…. <3

Another lesson in patience, trees don’t grow overnight. LOL We have catalpa trees, and they are absolutely beautiful when their flowers bloom. And when their white blooms blow across the yard, it is one of the prettiest sights. However…..it takes 5 years for the trees to bloom the first time!! A true testament in patience….the catalpa tree that we planted 5 years ago, is blooming for the first time this year!! It’s so pretty….

In our world of everything being at our fingertips, sometimes we lose sight of the benefit of having to wait. We we want everything “now, now, now” that we forget to enjoy the present. We forget to enjoy the process. Today’s world moves so fast, and before you know it, another growing season is done, your babies aren’t babies anymore, the joys in this world pass us by because we are too busy rushing onto the next thing. Growing the homestead is such a blessing to me, as it is teaching me patience. In being patient through it all, we are blessed with the reward of happy, healthy animals, abundant crops, and the ability to bless others.

I’d love to hear from my readers. Are you a person blessed with patience?? What is one things that you struggle with patience about? My list is a mile long….LOL