Life Lesson Learned from a Toaster

Let me set the scene for you. . .

It's lunchtime. I'm standing in front of the toaster. Waiting. . .waiting. . .waiting. My husband walks by.

Me: (enormous sigh) Honey, I think the toaster is about to go. It's taking longer and longer to toast bread.

Hubby: Well, when we run out of patience we'll buy a new one.

I cracked up at his retort and told him it was blog fodder. 

But guess what?  He's got a point.  Maybe I don't need to spend money on a new toaster. Maybe I just need to acquire more patience. 

Have you ever noticed how often the subject of patience comes up in ordinary conversation? Especially in relation to motoring. Just about every human has suffered from lack of patience on the highway. Well, except maybe Mother Theresa. It's hard to imagine she ever shook her fist and screamed at the driver in front of her, "You jerk! Can't you go any faster?"

Author Barbara Johnson described patience as "being able to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears." A wise woman. I wonder how many trips to the mechanic it took for her to learn that lesson.

A person’s wisdom yields patience;

   it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense. -- Proverbs 19:11