Growing Fruit: PATIENCE

Growing Fruit: Patience
I am not, by nature, a patient person.
There. I said it.
I wish I could tell you that after forty years of following Jesus, raising kids, working in education, and surviving countless slow drivers in the left lane, patience has become second nature.
It hasn't.
If I'm standing in the grocery store, I will inevitably choose the slowest checkout line. If I switch lanes, the one I just left immediately starts moving faster. Every. Single. Time.
And don't even get me started on waiting for the microwave.
Thirty seconds somehow feels like three hours.
Maybe that's why patience is called a fruit of the Spirit instead of a personality trait.
Because left to my own devices, I'd rather have instant results.
I like checking things off my to-do list. I like seeing progress. I like answers now, healing now, solutions now, and Amazon packages that arrive yesterday.
Waiting has never been my favorite.
But God seems to do some of His best work there.
The Bible is full of people who had to wait.
Abraham waited decades for the son God promised.
Joseph waited years in slavery and prison before seeing God's plan unfold.
David was anointed king but spent years running for his life before ever wearing the crown.
Even the disciples had to wait after Jesus' resurrection before the Holy Spirit came.
None of them probably enjoyed the waiting.
But God was working while they waited.
I often forget that part.
When I can't see God moving, I assume He's doing nothing.
But Scripture tells a different story.
Isaiah 40:31 says,
"But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength..."
Notice it doesn't say those who tolerate waiting.
Or those who complain really well while waiting.
It says those who wait on the Lord.
There's a difference.
Patience isn't just gritting our teeth until life gets better.
It's trusting that God is accomplishing something even when we can't see it.
I've had to learn this lesson over and over.
As someone with ADHD, waiting feels especially difficult. My brain loves momentum. If I have an idea, I want to start it immediately. If I'm working toward a goal, I want to see progress now. Delayed gratification has never been my strong suit.
I've also seen this in James.
When he's excited about something, every five minutes becomes, "Is it time yet?"
The funny thing is...I'm not much different.
I've prayed prayers that sounded an awful lot like, "God...is it time yet?"
Time for an answer.
Time for clarity.
Time for the next chapter.
Time for the breakthrough I've been asking for.
Sometimes God's answer is yes.
Sometimes it's no.
And sometimes it's simply, "Not yet."
Those two little words can be some of the hardest to hear.
But I've discovered that "not yet" isn't the same as "I forgot about you."
It's often God's way of saying, "I'm still working."
Romans 8:25 reminds us,
"If we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."
That's easier to read than it is to live.
Patience isn't passive.
It's active trust.
It's choosing to believe that God's timing is better than mine—even when mine seems much more efficient.
I've lost count of how many times I've looked back and realized that what felt like an inconvenient delay was actually God's protection or preparation.
If He had answered my prayers when I wanted Him to, I would've missed something far better.
That's usually only obvious in hindsight.
Galatians 5 reminds us that patience is fruit.
Fruit doesn't appear overnight.
You don't plant an apple tree on Monday and expect pie by Friday.
Growth takes time.
Which, ironically, is exactly what patience teaches us.
So maybe if you're in a season of waiting, you're not standing still after all.
Maybe God is growing something in you that couldn't grow any other way.
Maybe He's teaching you to trust Him one day at a time.
And maybe, somewhere between the waiting and the wondering, the Holy Spirit is producing a fruit that will nourish not only your own life but everyone around you.
I'm still learning.
I still sigh in long checkout lines.
I still refresh tracking information more often than necessary.
I still wish some prayers had faster answers.
But little by little, God is teaching me that waiting isn't wasted.
Because the God who calls us to be patient is never late.
And His fruit is always worth the wait.