I have been meditating lately on Gerard Manley Hopkins’ poem “Patience.” It's like the Lord sent it my way right when I needed it.

Patience, hard thing! The hard thing but to pray, 
But bid for, Patience is! Patience who asks 
Wants war, wants wounds; weary his times, his tasks; 
To do without, take tosses, and obey. 
Rare patience roots in these; and, these away, 
Nowhere. Natural heart’s ivy, Patience masks 
Our ruins of wrecked past purpose. There she basks 
Purple eyes and seas of liquid leaves all day. 

We hear our hearts grate on themselves: it kills 
To bruise them dearer. Yet the rebellious wills 
Of us we do bid God bend to him even so. 
And where is he who more and more distills 
Delicious kindness? — He is patient. Patience fills 
His crisp combs, and that comes those ways we know. 

This poem is complex, but it is wonderful for reflection, and honestly, I need its message right now. Here is it in my own words:

Patience is a hard thing. It is hard to ask God for patience. When we ask for patience, we ask for war; we ask for wounds. The tasks that build patience are wearying. It is wearying to do without. It is wearying to take the trials that patience gives us. It is wearying to simply obey. But it is only through these trials that the rare virtue of patience blooms. Without these trials, patience won’t grow. Patience is the ivy that grows over the ruins of our former goals and dreams. But that ivy basks in the sun, producing leaves and flowers. 

Yet patience is still hard, and in times of trial, we hear the clamor of our souls. Our hearts are vulnerable, and trials bruise them. Yet we ask God to bend our rebellious will to Himself even more. And what is the character of that God? He uses these trials to show us His kindness. He is patient. It is patience that fills God’s honeycombs, but that sweet honey is produced in slow ways that we must submit to.

April and I are finding that this is a difficult stage of life. It’s not easy to raise three children in today's world and today's economy. It’s not easy to commit to the sacrifices of keeping three daughters in a Christian school, of working in ministry, of dealing with difficult trials that have been sent our way, of trying to live as the Lord has directed.

But it’s a blessing to know that God is patient with us as we learn. Slowly but surely, He molds us to the image of His Son. And although that process seems to be very, very slow, we trust that someday the reward will be sweet.

But in the meanwhile, I need patience.