Have you ever gotten frustrated over an unanswered prayer? a slow-progressing career? a seemingly stagnant relationship? your own self-growth and healing? I have.

Learning a skill takes some time, we already know that; significantly improving a situation may take longer, that’s a given; But growing to be more loving, charitable, patient, understanding, and humble, this takes a lifetime to perfect.

Gradual Progress

I just read in a book called, “The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life” by James Martin, SJ, that God is like an old carpenter who does excellent work but takes forever.

Oo nga naman. I realized this is true. Not that God isn’t capable of working in a snap (of course, He is!). But when it comes to transforming and converting one’s heart and making us grow in love and virtue, it is usually a gradual process that is often frustrating and even painful, but essential and indispensable.

While the world demands for us to be both fast and efficient (mas practical, yes), the Lord knows the value of a slow but sure work (hindi nagmamadali, tinitiyak na pulido at pangmatagalan).

Patient Love

This helps me understand and accept myself a bit more. I often beat myself up for being so slow in doing things and for messing up whenever I try to be fast like the others. But the Lord has been lovingly and faithfully showing me how patient He is, reminding me to extend the same grace to other people and to myself.

Fearing that people may get annoyed with my pace (in doing a task, learning a lesson, or growing in virtue) makes me more impatient with myself. People-pleaser, I know. But whenever I encounter God who is patient and kind, the experience is liberating. Does it make me more patient and less people-pleasing? Not instantly, but gradually, I hope.

As long as God, who is love, exists, there is hope.