Patience is a Virtue... or So I Hear

Ironically, whenever I pray for patience God never automatically deems me "patient." Instead, and much to my displeasure, he gives me opportunities to be patient. And in my case, my impatience only grows with every single one of these opportunities. Is it too much to ask for patience and never actually have to use it? Why can't I just have the virtue of patience tucked away in my repertoire, and have everything just go my way when I want it to go my way? I guess that then defeats the purpose of actually being patient, doesn't it? I mean, I can tell you I'm a runner, that I can run a 6 minute mile, but if I have never done it in my life, then the title "runner" does not apply to me. And I can't wake up tomorrow and decide to run a mile in 6 minutes flat when the truth is I can only walk it in 14 (yeah, it's that bad). I have to train for it. And God has taught me that when I pray for patience, I better be ready because there's a lot of red lights coming my way.
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Romans 5:1-5

My patience was thus tested as I was sewing the other day. The skirt actually turned out quite nicely, but the road this skirt and I traveled on was filled with many meetings with the infamous (I always think of the Three Amigos when I use that word) seam ripper. Or as I like to call it, "the Picker." The waistband had to be redone twice, and as I don't have a serger and was forced to use the zigzag stitch, I had some complications with the waist. With each stitch I ripped, I just told myself that this is going to be the cutest skirt ever and everyone is going to be jealous. I don't know if wishing jealousy into the hearts of others is very Christ-like, but it got me through to my finished product. All in all, patience the virtue won out. And I live to sew another day!