Patience.
This week I’m praying a lot for the grace of patience. Patience with myself, and patience with others. Patience with the struggles of this year. Patience with the undeniable complexity of every decision, every slow step forward.
Yesterday, my three sons and I were walking to the car after showing some of my oldest son’s teachers how to work his equipment. If you are new to following me, my oldest son has moderate hearing loss in both ears. So, in class situations, he relies on a combination of hearing aids, reading lips, and a device that hangs around the teacher’s neck.
It was the first moment where we were plunged into the world of masking and I realized how difficult it was for him without lips to read and muted sound. As we walked to the car, I let all the worries of this year overcome me a bit. Wondering if he’d be okay.
I crouched down and removed my mask and told him how proud of him I was. When I stood back up, my twins yelled “Mommy, you are getting all wet!” I had forgotten to open my umbrella lost in my thoughts. As I struggled to open it, I suddenly felt a respite from the drops of rain. I looked up to see that my oldest was holding his umbrella over both of us and smiling at me.
I don’t know when he grew tall enough to do that.
In that moment, he reminded me of the grace I’m praying for this week – patience. He helped me slow my step and quiet my mind and release my grip a little on this year.
So today join me in this prayer by St. Teresa of Avila. Let us pray together for the grace of patience as we continue to find our feet on uncertain ground:
“Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.”
