A Quiet Test of Patience

The Lord has been teaching me patience this week. It all started on Monday. I went off to work, and lo and behold - I didn’t have my phone.

Now, not having my phone isn’t the end of the world, but it did cause a bit of an inconvenience. I had an alternate way to log into my work computer, but it failed me repeatedly. After some thought, I decided to leave briefly and go back home to grab my phone. When I did, I saw all the notifications from my many failed attempts earlier.

Once I got back and tried again, my account had become disabled. I had to make the humble call to the service manager to reach out to the admin team to have my credentials reset. While I waited, I didn’t feel uneasy, rushed, or even stressed. Somehow, I remained in a state of calm. Everything that could be done was being done in the background.

When they finally called me to verify what happened, I explained that I had simply forgotten my phone and tried to use my alternate one-time password. It’s funny thinking back tho - while I was waiting in silence, the service manager had actually sent me a message saying “still on hold.” I didn’t even see it until I was able to log in again.

In one of my recent posts, I wrote about the fruits of the Spirit and long-suffering was one of them. Patience builds strength and forms a vital part of our character.

“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope.”
Romans 5:3–4

So I ended up clocking in later than usual and embarrased to admit to my manager, but fortunately it all worked out in the end.

At first, I didn’t even think this story was worth writing about. I asked God what I should share this time around because I thought this was too small or insignificant. But as the week went on, more moments reminded me that this was indeed about patience and it all came together perfectly.

That’s just it, isn’t it? In our patience, true faith is revealed. What seems small or inconvenient in the moment might actually be a quiet test of how we respond.

When your patience is being tested, how do you react?
Are you quick to haste, easily frustrated, or do you find ways to distract yourself?

I was annoyed at first, sure - but I also knew there was nothing more I could do. I had to leave it in someone else’s hands until the appointed time. So I focused on stillness and gratitude.

And now, writing this out, I’m glad I went through it even though it wasn’t what I planned to share. Nothing is too small to give thanks for. Because after all - even the “small” things matter in God’s eyes.

“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much.”
— Luke 16:10