Patience on the Guadelupe

Kayaks loaded on top of car?  Check.  Dog in car?  Check.  Starbucks run.  Check.  Off we go to the Guadalupe State Park for a day on the river.  There's nothing quite like getting out on the river early on a summer morning.  So peaceful.  So quiet.  So beautiful.  Ben and I kayaked down the river with our dog perched at the front of the kayak in her own hand-designed doggie perch.  In a little while, we decided to dock at a spot where the fish seem to party.  Then, Gracie Lou, our beloved 12-year old English Springer, quickly transformed into Fisher-Dog!  Her job (she thinks) is to follow my husband step by step out into the water, barking incessantly to hopefully get those fishies to come up out of the water and play with her.  Of course, my husband, an avid fisherman, laments at her antics, but can't help but bring her along.  She is one spoiled mutt. 

I can't help but wonder how many fish we would catch if Gracie Lou would just STOP barking.  (Did I say she is deaf and doesn't hear herself?) She loves fishing so much that she can't seem to be still, quiet and wait patiently for the fish to come out.  In her mind, she thinks that the barking will make things happen quicker.  When the fish DO make an appearance, you can be sure she is right there to help them off the lure. 
 
Gracie Lou hasn't learned the ways of fishing.  Gracie Lou lacks patience.  She wants what she wants NOW.  It's easy to live reacting to our impulses, just like Gracie Lou.  We make decisions as if this moment is the only thing that matters.  We can live with the mindsets "It's my life; I can do whatever I want." "If it feels good, do it."  "Have it my way...I deserve it."  If you observe the culture around, you see this everywhere.  Anger at a restaurant because the food is a tad delayed.  The driver in the car behind you becoming unglued on the freeway. Or making a monumental rash decision that affects a lifetime.  Somehow, we have become way too important...and shortsighted.  Our egos of entitlement tell us that we deserve to get what we want when we want it.

Patience is not easy for me.  But, I desire to be a more patient person.  It takes effort to think, pray and ask God to slow me down.  I have asked Him to show me when I'm impatient...to make me aware of when I become ego-driven with my agenda.  And He does.  Instead of demanding what I want when I want it, I learn that God teaches me so much in the waiting period.  Proverbs 16:32 says "Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city." Ask God to give you opportunities to practice patience this week.  With God's help we CAN change.

"Patience is the companion of wisdom."  Saint Augustine

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.