The art of patience: waiting while you wait
I just came across this lovely phrase from St Francis de Sales. In a letter to St Jane de Chantal, when there is a hitch and she can’t take a journey at the time she wanted to, he says to her
Wait while you wait
In other words, when circumstances force you to wait ‘externally’ – in the ‘exterior’ reality of your life – make sure that in your interior life (your disposition, your heart, your spiritual desires), you are genuinely waiting; patiently, humbly, attentively; with an interior peace about being in this situation even if it does not seem to be ‘objectively’ the ideal one; rather than longing to be where you are not with all the attendant agitation and unhappiness.
In his own much simpler words:
So wait, my very dear sister, ‘Wait,’ I say, using words of Scripture, ‘while you wait’ [Cf. Ps 40:1, Vulgate 39:2: ‘expectans expectavi Dominum’]. Now to wait while we wait means not to worry while we are waiting, for many persons do not wait while waiting, but are anxious and restless.
Tags: patience, St Francis de Sales, waiting
Just before I was tempted to engage on my apple for the day, a man of God sent me a text ~ God doesn’t give us patients only opportunities to practice our patience!’ ~ my response ~ ‘Ahhhhh in that case my opportunities are endless’ 0-:O)
. . . . and then by mini miracle came here. :O)