One might imagine that the older one gets, the easier it would be to be patient. I am not sure if it is true for all older individuals; I am as eager to get to the next step as I was when I was at the ages of thirty, fifteen, and six. When I was young it was a matter of personal pride. I wanted to be faster than others. I tried to complete my homework first, even if it meant making a mistake or two. Everything needed to be at speed. When I was fifteen, the need for speed has translated to wheels. Go-karts, mini-bikes, motorcycles, and scooters all brought the desire for even more speed.
The natural balance of speed, quality, and opportunity tempered my obsession. The challenge with my statement is that I always believed that I could reach my goal faster than anyone around me. As experience and life expanded my thinking, at times painfully, I find myself appreciating the value that is found in each moment. Yes, I still carry a desire to move at pace. More importantly, I hear and find myself responding to the call to live life out to the maximum in the moment that is now.
Hope, found in an instant, takes a long time to grow and take root. Beauty, when appreciated and enjoyed, is a source of hope. An experience of kindness, grows within you, leaving traces of hope and awe within one’s soul. Care changes the heart of everyone involved. Reminders have been left along the way; “Isaiah’s word: There’s the root of our ancestor Jesse, breaking through the earth and growing tree tall, Tall enough for everyone everywhere to see and take hope!” (Romans 15.12)
Maturity is more than the sum of good and bad results. Maturity is expressed by consistently showing up. It is embraced through community and the willingness to work with others at the pace everyone can muster. Maturity is experienced in taking the time to enjoy the moment when everything is screaming to move on.
Time is a gift.
