Impatience
OCT. 26, 1980, 5:59 AM
W. WILLOW, STUDY
I promised you, o son, a counter-teaching to the one titled “Patience”. This morning seems to be an appropriate time for such. You are feeling some vague impatience… at least not pure patience and tranquility.
Let’s consider the positive values of impatience first. When a situation is undesirable, particularly in relation to the development and expression of spirit it is good to be impatient. There are some things in the world that need changing. Some, as you might expect, are arranged and offered to you as a test or tests. I expect you to be impatient… I want you to be impatient and want to bring about change. Do you have the spiritual courage to meet such challenges? Will you exercise the spirit in such ways to keep it active and viable? One means of expression of My love for you and for certain others… for all, at times… is a test that brings forth impatience and the desire to affect changes in the circumstances encountered.
Having said this, let Me reiterate, strongly, that most of life situations, even for you, are not arranged by Me, but happen out of the “natural” course of events and the myriad interactions which constitute life. I am interested in and I observe such situations… in which impatience is appropriate… and such opportunities are often better than ones I arrange.
The developed spirit should feel and demonstrate impatience with dishonesty, with cowardice, with disregard for the ecological relationships in this earth of Mine… with selfishness, with short-sightedness, with prejudice.
However, spiritual power is tested in real life situations, and in such you may need to feel impatience with prejudice, but be kindly patient with the person who shows forth the prejudice. Some of the most difficult tests of the human spirit involve the conflict between love, which is patient, and justice, which is sometimes impatient. In the abstract it may be easy. But when you must try to separate what a person is doing from himself as a person… to be patient with the person, but impatient with the behavior… it is most difficult.
If patience is a virtue then in those situations where this is so, impatience must be curbed. For impatience is, finally, the unwillingness or inability to be patient. And this may represent the unwillingness or inability to love as you have been loved.
You certainly realize that I have been patient with you. I commend you for your positive development, even when it comes slowly and sporadically. I can be impatient, and I certainly have a right to be, at times. Yet in My infinite wisdom I know that patience produces more good than does impatience. True, there is a time for patience, and a time for impatience. One is meaningless without the other. Each has merit, and some of the real decisions of life involve which is to dominate.
Yet the balance is not to be equal. The time is, more often, to be patient. It is like unto mercy over justice. It is like unto Grace over Karma. The value of patience is enhanced because there also is value in impatience. I am a patient Spirit, representing a patient God, but when I am impatient that, too, is virtue, rather than any lack of capacity to be patient.
Though you will not do it well, this is the model for you to emulate. Appropriately applied, impatience is not a lack of patience, but a virtuous attitude and behaviors that may be quite pleasing to Me. Know this, and do not feel ashamed or guilty when you are righteously impatient. This is one important perspective.
The other is just a bit more important. The time is more often for patience, for waiting, for helping others change ways and means without the criticism that kills all motivations. The best rhythm is one overbalanced to patience, but not without its share of impatience.
The morning is beautiful. Use your time well this day. Ponder long your need to be patient with the temptation for self-aggrandizement. Ponder… and Enjoy.
Amen
7:05 AM