I sometimes wish Paul hadn't included "patience" (or "longsuffering") in his list of the fruit of the Spirit. I am not the most patient person. In fact, I've struggled with impatience my entire life. I tend to want things done and done NOW. That's because I'm a fixer. I fix things. No I don't. I can't fix anything or anyone. I can't even fix myself.
Here's the irony. God has put me in charge of an agricultural operation that demands, well, patience. Tons of it in fact. When the Bible speaks of patience, its models are familiar to us. Job is the classic example, especially when we're faced with sudden loss and tragedy. Then there's Joseph, who after years of unjust imprisonment extended grace to the brothers who betrayed him. And how about Abraham? Heb. 6:15 says that "after waiting patiently he obtained the promise" of his son. Moses experienced patience (or longsuffering) by leading a rebellious nation through 40 years in the wilderness. But perhaps the ultimate example of patience in the Bible are farmers because their waiting is defined by active preparation and an unshakable expectation of a final harvest. Patience, according to James 5:7, is not passivity. It is active preparation of the soil while at the same time trusting God to provide what he and only he can provide -- the conditions for growth. I thought about this as I surveyed the fields this afternoon and became so grateful to our God for the way everything is beginning to look green again.
Farmers can plant and fertilize. But they can't tell the rain or the sun what to do. Likewise in "life," storms will hit (the loss of a job, an unexpected illness, a spouse leaving you for another). A farmer doesn't quit when it floods or when there's a drought. He (1) adapts, (2) protects what he can, and (3) trusts that the season will pass. God promises us his constant strength and presence. Instead of worrying, Phil. 4:6-7 urges us to present our requests to God with thanksgiving. When we do this, the result is a peace that transcends understanding.
Tonight my heart is full of joy and gratitude. Personally, I simply can't thank the Lord enough for the joy of farming but also for what farming has taught me these past 25 years. I can get through the storms of life by bringing all my anxieties to him in prayer even when he is seemingly silent.