Cultivating Patience
Waiting with Love
But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.
- Luke 15:20
The father in Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son teaches us something profound about patience. He doesn’t just wait passively for his son’s return—he watches with hope, stays ready with compassion, holds space with love. His patience flows from deep within, from a heart that refuses to give up on relationship.
This kind of patience asks something different of us than merely gritting our teeth and enduring. As we’ve explored this week, it invites us to remain present to what is while holding space for what might be. The father in the story didn’t know when or if his son would return, yet he remained faithful to the possibility of reunion. We might recognize this type of waiting in our own lives: parents watching for signs of maturity in their teenagers, teachers nurturing potential in struggling students, holding space for someone working through grief.
Sometimes our impatience comes from trying to control outcomes rather than trusting the slow work of love. We’ve seen how patient attention can transform our experience of traffic, weather, and daily irritations. But what about the deeper waitings of our lives: waiting for healing in a relationship, waiting for clarity about a decision, waiting for peace in our hearts?
The father in the parable shows us that true patience is inseparable from love. When we wait with love—for ourselves, for others, for God’s presence to be revealed—we participate in the kind of patience that can transform both us and those for whom we wait.
Making it Personal: Where in your life are you being invited to wait with love rather than anxiety? What helps you stay present to possibility while accepting what is? When have you experienced the fruit of patient waiting? How might viewing patience as an expression of love change your experience of waiting?
Listen To Our Lent Podcast Episodes
We also invite you to listen to the Living Compass Spirituality and Wellness Podcast hosted by Scott Stoner. This is a year-round, weekly podcast; however, during Lent, there will be two new episodes each week to enrich your experience of our Lenten readings on Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit.
You can listen to the podcast on our website by clicking HERE. You can also find this podcast in your favorite podcast listening app (Apple, Google, Spotify, etc.)—just search for Living Compass Spirituality and Wellness