The Gym of Parenthood: How Patience Is Built, Not Born

I was talking with a friend recently and she commented, “I would not have the patience to do what you do.” And I had to consider her words for a moment before I could figure out how to respond, not because her words bothered me or offended me, but because I wanted to do a good job describing just how in the world we have the patience for all that we do.

So I told her that it’s a lot like working out. When you first start, you can look at a champion weightlifter and say the same thing my friend said: “I could never do what she does.” And you know what? You’d be right! It would be ridiculous to step foot in the gym on day 1 and try to lift 500 lbs! But through careful, consistent work, effort, and growth, you just might find yourself able to do it one day.

Parenting is the same way – whether we’re talking about 12 children or two – it takes consistency. It takes growth. It takes work. It takes effort. And it takes time. As you welcome your first child, you don’t have the patience to care for 12 children… and you don’t have to! You’re just working on growing the patience to care for one! But as your family grows, you’ll find that so does your patience. Our hearts have an amazing knack for growing and expanding in ways we never thought possible, and we find that all that we need is within us. And while the days are long, the years are short, and the payoff is 100% worth it.