Patience/Perseverance

Hullo folks,

I've been low on sleep and discouraged in general (which happens when I get low on sleep), but I've decided to write a quick note anyway... my apologies if isn't particularly coherant. I've been dwelling a lot on perseverance, since the last note touched on its qualities. Also, Lent kind of exudes the virtue... as discipline requires constancy. Hupomone (hoop-om-on-ay) lol... is the Greek word for patience which is a common KJV translation of perseverance. It is a cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy - patient continuance or waiting. It literally means "an abiding under". It usually is rendered as a patience which grows only in trials. In addition, hupomone is opposed to cowardice or despondency.

Confession: I allowed myself to be carted away in merriment until 1 a.m. on a day I had to work... which resulted in me getting 4 hours of sleep. Although this is a truly idiodic move on my behalf; I am rather grateful for it, because it allowed me to encounter trials. The "grumbly" and self-destructive voices that I thought I could put away with exercise and thankfulness immediately appeared after a night of inadequate sleep. I felt annoyed by my roommates, left out, lonely, undesirable etc. At first, I was super discouraged. I wondered how I could have slipped back into old habits. Then I realized, this was a great opportunity to practice endurance and faithfulness. This morning it took me TWO HOURS to come up with my 50 things I was thankful for, but I patiently continued my Lenten practice. I was far from cheerful, but I realized that patience doesn't really grow without challange. One hardly feels the need for endurance when everything is going well and one is happy and content. It's quite another thing to be cheerful and hopeful when you feel like you aren't making a difference in the world, like no one listens to you, like your roommate's habits are going to drive you insane, like the chores never get done, like your old friends never call you... etc. You name it. So, hupomone is opposed to despondance, because it doesn't allow us to wallow in the wrongs of the world or our trials. Instead, we can see that the daily difficulties, bad traffic, extra homework, etc. are opportunities for the Holy Spirit to increase the strength of our thanksgiving and trust in God's goodness.

I also appreciate that the definition implies that patience requires courage. One has to forge forward with boldness. It's not simply a passive "I'll wait 20 minutes for you to get out of the bathroom". It's an active "Even though I want someone to take care of me, I'm going to take care of them. I'm going to take out the trash for the hundredth time without complaining. I'm going to keep writing in this blog whether people read it or not. I'm going to speak the truth even though it might get me shunned" etc. It's a very matter of fact virtue. I was thinking of the passage where Jesus says when we have done everything we were told to do...we are to say, "we are unworthy servants, we have only done our duty" Luke 17:10. Perseverance should not be a flashy virtue - one where we say, look how consistent I am in my fasting and almsgiving! It is simply what is required of us to become more like Christ - who endured all things that we might have life.

Amen. Katie