The Patience of Solomon

Alright so your waiting in line at the grocery store and the customer two places ahead of you is holding up the line because of a price check.  You on other hand have just three items to pay for and you are annoyed at the clown holding up the line. Never mind that it’s not their fault the price is missing,  you still think it’s their fault so your impatience remains.

Or you are in a clothing store call it Ross (Dress for Less) and this time there is a lady ahead of you in line just taking her sweet time talking away about her granddaughters with the checkout clerk.  Any minute now you are expecting her to pull out the photos and just destroy the rest of your day.  You feel a seething anger building up inside you but if only you could see your face it would not be pretty.

Both of these situations and others like these or driving situations require you to control yourself right? The following is a simple memory jog to nudge you into the right kind of thinking.  When I am losing my patience, it helps me to lightheartedly tell myself “I shall have the patience of Solomon!”



You know the biblical king, son of King David. Almost instantly afterwards I can be well and patient again and feel kingly for being so patient.

“What are you talking about?” You’ll ask me in a scornful tone that suggests  that I’m an idiot. “Everybody knows that King Solomon was renowned for his wisdom, not for his patience. He may have been a very impatient guy in his day!” To this I shall calmly reply, “I know, right? But perhaps, you have forgotten what the bible  says. Look into it, you’ll see for yourself that patience is wisdom and wisdom is patience.”  

“No!  It doesn't say that." By now you'll be raising your voice and waiving your arms in the air like you just don’t care.  In a patient reply to your rant I’ll say further, "Read 1 Kings 3:1-28 and Proverbs1:1 and what follows. Then, maybe the next time you're inconvenienced to wait you can tell  yourself with a smile that, "I shall have the patience of Solomon!"   Then you will be able to act wisely and feel kingly by doing so." May this be a whole new start for you.