“A Watched Pot”

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Have you ever heard the expression, “a watched pot doesn’t boil?”. I remember it quite vividly, especially when I’m in the kitchen preparing a meal, while my stomach is having hunger pangs. And it’s true, you stand there waiting for the tiny bubbles to appear and yet nothing happens! Patience is indeed a virtue. While this scenario seems miniscule, I think a lesson we are all learning is patience.

“The watched pot” may look different for all of us. As a preschool teacher, patience is a term used quite frequently. I don’t consider it so much the waiting aspect to be the problem, however, but my attitude while waiting. We all can decide how to wait. Think about it. We will always have something to wait for. If it’s not the traffic light, or the amazon package you have been waiting for, it’s always something. We will always wait for something, because as human nature would have it, we always want something.

I’ve learned much about patience, not just from working with children but on a more personal level. These last 3 years have been a whirlwind. Beginning with chronic pain, which led to spine surgery. I learned the most valuable lesson. As a faith filled person, I had little doubt that the God, who created man from the soil of the earth, possessed the full capacity to heal me. I didn’t doubt it, not for one second. Having faith is one thing, but faith is an active word, which requires you to move. “Faith without works is dead”- James 2:18 So, I had to decide what my attitude would look like while I was waiting, trying every method known to man to ease the pain I was in, yet trusting God that he had me. I didn’t stop asking, yet I wasn’t sitting looking at the pot to boil either. I had to do my part. Knock on doors and dive into waters that we not yet traveled. I didn’t quit, but I did get a little frustrated with God because he wasn’t answering me. Or so I thought.

The lessons I learned during this time, were absolutely life changing. Thank God he wasn’t moved by my frustration and pain. The work he did inside was far greater than the pain I experienced during that season. I learned to be patient with myself. I had to embrace a new way of thinking, while I waited. I knew full well that my healing would come through, as he so faithfully spoke to me during that time. It wasn’t a long speech, simply put, “Your pain has an expiration date”. I clung to it! It filled me with hope. So, I held onto that and embraced “my new normal” for the time being.

What I learned, pretty basic. I had two choices. The first was to get caught up in everything that I could no longer do, due to pain, or focus on what I was able to do. It was a vigorous study program! It was daily and it took commitment. My problem didn’t resolve right away buy mind was renewed. I learned to stay positive. Mental health is so critical, not just for facing challenges, but life in general. Things change all the time, times are uncertain, but we can always maintain our integrity within our mind. It is a powerful thing! If you feed it garbage, it will produce stench! Feed it life and it will produce life.

So how is this relevant to you? We all have things we are waiting for and things that are completely uncertain. Face the challenges one day at a time. Take moments throughout the day and be kind yourself. It’s so easy to get wrapped up when we feel trapped. While we may be constricted physically right now, your mind never has to be constricted. Patience isn’t really waiting. It’s your attitude while you’re waiting. Guess what? You get to decide how you choose to wait. No one can do that for you. So, don’t sit and stare at the pot to boil, find something else to do while your waiting. My pot may not look like yours. Yours might be a bit bigger, or smaller, more condensed. Maybe you are cooking with gas, maybe electric. None the less, I’m grateful God didn’t answer me the way I wanted him to. He wasn’t moved by my tantrums either. He saw what was best for me. In like manner, simply ask, “God what do you want me learn during this season?” When you cooperate with him, you will be sure to come out with treasures that are hidden in dark spaces- Isaiah 45:3