Sunday Spiritual {Patience}

Two Saturday evenings ago found me watching "Evan Almighty" on TV while Husband hacked away at what would end up to be our real, although pitiful, Christmas tree.  (I don't care that it's pitiful!  We paid $7 for it and it's real!  We've had a fake tree for far too long.)  "Evan Almighty" was just what happened to be on at that moment, I hadn't put it on my schedule to watch it and, in fact, Husband was the one who turned it on.  So I watched it.  It was either that or Modern Marvels and can I just give that show a hugantic thumbs down?  Bore me to death.

But, I digress.  At one point in the movie, Evan's wife leaves him for a being a nutjob.  She packs up their three boys and heads to Mom's house.  On their way there they end up at an eating establishment where all three boys make a trip to the potty and Evan's wife is left to feel sorry for herself.  Morgan Freeman shows up pretending to be a waiter and talks with her a bit.  She tells him about her trials and he says to her:

"When a person prays for patience, do you think God gives him patience or does he give him the opportunity to be patient?"

Friends, that was a lightbulb moment for me.  I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I learned something spiritual from such a movie, but I did.  I have been praying and praying and praying for patience with my children and it seemed like the more I prayed for it the less I had it.  (When I shared this in Relief Society, one of the Sisters said that her mother told her to never pray for patience for that very reason.)

It makes so much sense.  God does not just give us what we want.  He has always required us to work for it, to earn it, to prove our worthiness and our faith.  It makes sense to me now how my prayers for patience have been answered.

I don't think I'll stop praying for patience, I think it would be counter-productive to the purpose of it all, but I'm grateful for the insight and the clarity.  And I'm grateful for a Father in Heaven who knows how to reach me.  Even if it's through a silly movie.