Christmas Patience

Ephesians 4:2 - Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Patience. Don’t you just hate it when a voice comes over your phone telling you that you have an eleven minute wait time for your call to go through? I know I do. I get impatient when it’s not just eleven minutes that go by, but even one minute to wait. There’s something wrong in that, I instinctively know. But I still find my aggravation growing as I hear, “Please continue to hold for the next person available.” And while I’m waiting, they’re playing Christmas music. Like that’s supposed to help me be patient.
 
The Christmas season is full of waiting.
 

• Waiting for work to be over for the day so you can head to the mall.
• Waiting in traffic on your way to the mall.
• Waiting in line with your full shopping cart with a slow checker at the register.
• Going home and realizing you’ve forgotten a present and needing to go back to the mall where you’ll have to wait again.

 
But what about the people whose job it is to put us on hold? Do you find yourself lashing out when someone finally does come on the line? It’s not just this example that shows our impatient reactions.
 
What about waiting in line at the store? Do you look ahead of you and think that if only the clerk worked a little faster you wouldn’t have to wait?
 
Waiting and impatience seem to go hand-in-hand. And though during the Christmas season, with all the joy it holds, it may seem strange that your impatience grows as each day grows closer to Christmas. And how can we be an example to the world for why we celebrate the true meaning of Christmas when we act no different than those who only celebrate Santa Claus and presents?
 
Womansday.com has some ideas on getting rid of Christmas impatience in their article, “31 Tips for a Stress-Free Christmas.” Here’s a couple: Schedule a break. Take one day or even one afternoon off and take a drive out into the country. Another example is to seek the out-of-the-way cashier. Find a courtesy counter or service desk to pay for your items.
 
Choosing some of the examples in the article above and trying them out may be just what you need to find some Christmas patience. Take a look at the Bible verse above. We are supposed to be patient and bear with one another in love. And, yes, that means during the Christmas season we are to be even gentler with those around us; even the clerk at the register checking out your gifts.
 
Christmas is a wonderful season if we let it be. Let’s remember to have Christmas patience, and it will help us enjoy the season more.

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