Drive-thrus. Amazon 2-hour delivery. Complaining when the car in front of you goes 3 mph below the speed limit. Texting someone in the room next door. Microwavable dinners. Refusing to wait in line at Starbucks. Googling your homework instead of putting in a little extra effort. Reading the last page of the book first. Does any of this sound familiar? Why do people do these things? What happened to taking your time and just enjoying life?

We live in a world where everything is rushed. Everyone is always in a hurry. They have places to be and people to see. They have no time to be friendly to the Starbucks barista or spend a minute catching up with a friend when they pass him on the sidewalk. Everyone always wants the easy way out, the quickest route to get to where they want to be. It is always the immediate and now, never the eventually and later.

But some things take time. You need to put time and effort into things in order for them to turn out well. You can’t have it all right now. You have to stop and smell the roses every once in a while. When you are so focused on getting things done, you might miss the joys of living life. When you want the future to be the now, you forget to enjoy the stage of life you are currently in. You will miss out on many opportunities to be happy.

“Patience is a virtue.” This is a quote I am sure everyone has heard before. It is often said but not often taken to heart. The art of patience has been lost on the majority of people. Everyone is incredibly consumed with trying to get things done now, but good things come to those who wait. When you learn to be patient, you will find that life becomes that much better! You will start to discover the joys in observing the world as you wait. You will see the beauty in people’s flaws. You will learn to love the people around you. Life will be wonderful.

Even in today’s world, you can’t have everything right now. Learn to be patient in everything you do, and it will change your world.

“Be humble and gentle in every way. Be patient with each other and lovingly accept each other.” Ephesians 4:2