Patience Can Save Your Life


Being patient is something I have struggled with most of my life, but the Lord has done a work on me in this area. Galatians 5:22 says that patience or long-suffering is one of the fruits of the spirit. Still, I get annoyed when my plans are delayed because of other people's actions.

Earlier this week, I took a train to Richmond, Virginia, to attend part of Calvary Campground’s Winter Campmeeting in nearby Ashland. I left the Amtrak station in Tampa, Florida, on a Monday afternoon almost 30 minutes behind schedule. Although the train gradually made up for lost time, it got delayed again because of a tragedy. 


Just before 4:30 a.m. the next morning in Columbia, South Carolina, the train stopped again minutes after letting off and picking up passengers. I’m used to Amtrak making frequent stops to let other trains pass or if another one stalled ahead of us. This sudden stop seemed a bit unusual. Soon, I learned there was a fatality on the tracks. A man tried driving his pickup truck around the railroad crossing gate. His impatience cost him his life.


That reminded me of an incident years ago. In June 1998, I attended Brownsville Revival meetings in Pensacola, Florida. On a Sunday afternoon, I was blessed with money to be able to return to Minnesota. One of the men I stayed with suggested I leave right away. I perceived I should wait until the next morning. Later, I encountered an unusual traffic jam while driving through rural Kentucky. I got off the freeway and stopped at a gas station. An employee informed me that a tanker explosion had happened hours earlier. Suddenly, I realized I could have been killed if I had left Pensacola earlier.


Daniel 12:4 says that in the last days, “many shall run to and fro…” When I’m street evangelizing, some individuals won’t stop to talk to me because they are in a hurry. Being impatient can cause people to miss out on things. It may even save one’s life.


“By your patience possess your souls.” - Luke 21:19

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