Notice, Listen, Practice
Practicing Patience with Others
Reflection By Jan Kwiakowski
I love humanity. It’s people I don’t like.
- Linus (Charles Schultz)
There are days when Linus’ words say it all for me. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have moments like Linus. We are human and we will always have a need to practice patience. We were invited this week to pay attention as we chose specific people who might give us the gift of practicing patience. We reflected on what it might take for us to exercise emotional and spiritual muscles needed to choose patience. Amy Sander Montanez pointed us to virtues associated with patience, such as authenticity, truthfulness, integrity, perseverance, and surrender.
Today I invite you to notice which words, phrases, wonderings, or reflections caught your attention this past week. As we transition into the last week of Advent, I invite you to consider if any of the nudgings from this past week, or perhaps from the previous weeks, might be calling you to carry them into the final days of Advent, or into the Christmas season, and beyond.
Perhaps the reflections might be inviting you to let go of something in order to make practicing patience a little easier. Or perhaps you might simply be thankful for the people who have provided an opportunity to more deeply love humanity and people.
Making It Personal: Is the Spirit inviting you to carry forward, or to let go of, something as you practice patience? How has your understanding of patience evolved during this Advent season? What, if anything, about this Advent season and the practice of patience has surprised you?
TO JOIN OUR PRIVATE FACEBOOK DISCUSSION GROUP FOR ADVENT, CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW:
Follow along with us this Advent season with our daily devotional and engage in discussion in our closed facebook group moderated by Robbin Brent, Carolyn Karl, Jan Kwiatowski, and Scott Stoner.
In this group, participants will have a chance to share their responses to the prompts in the daily readings, and also the chance to receive additional material for reflection.