Patience is Supposed to be a Virtue, Right?

I have recently been pondering the definition of waiting. What is waiting? Why must one wait? Is it really worth it to wait? And what does it mean in the Christian canon of scripture to "wait upon the Lord?" This led me to do some research.

The New Oxford American Dictionary (TNOAD) defines "Wait" as: 1-Stay where one is or delay action until a particular time or until something else happens; remain in readiness for some purpose; await the convenience of."  

It says, in the King James Version of the Old Testament, in Isaiah that "...they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." 

I have observed that many people, including myself, are not fond of waiting. One might say I seriously dislike waiting. But several things have happened recently that have made me re-think my personal position on waiting and patience. I have painfully discovered that it might be in one's best interests to be patient and await the proper timing of things, whenever they may be. I have been contemplating promised blessings of the Lord that have not come to pass thus far and how to be faithfully patient.

I had the thought recently that when it comes to certain blessings, waiting on the timing of our Heavenly Father is also a blessing. Waiting teaches that as one comes to accept that God is omniscient and one's own understanding is limited, we may be able to accept that the idea of time is something confined to this mortal experience. Therefore, how long really is one waiting if one believes that eternity is eternal and not confined to our idea of time? Think of the idea that the lifespan of certain insects is only 24 hours-a single day to humans-and yet one is born, mature into adulthood, and die in that 24 hour time period.

I have had the comforting thought that should a blessing be promised of the LORD, and should I do my part to be faithful in obeying the commandments He has given, than it doesn't really matter when those blessings come to fruition. I have come to believe that Heavenly Father does truly know what He is doing and waiting on His timing and promises is worth all the energy exercised to be patient. It is more difficult and uses more energy to worry and stress about things one has no control over.

Plus, if one goes by the last definition of wait-"to await the convenience of"-it means that waiting is much easier. This idea is based on the definition of convenience from the aforementioned dictionary. TNOAD states that convenience is "the state of being able to proceed with something with little effort or difficulty." I would like to have a life where I await the convenience of God's timing.

It seems to me that this idea of waiting upon the Lord could mean that one stays in a constant state of preparation for such a time and opportunity that allows one to go forward in faith with 'little effort or difficulty.' But one must have complete trust in God, His plan, and timing. That is the true test of patience and faith. If we pass this test, then one will have achieved the virtue and acquired the attributes that go with it.

Also, if one believes the words of Isaiah then there are specific blessings mentioned that come simply from waiting upon the LORD. Those blessings are a renewal of strength and stamina. In essence, if we are patient and wait on the LORD, we shall have the strength to endure whatever trials may come throughout this mortal experience. I think that is a great blessing and one I had not before considered.