wants patience now.

I've been thinking a lot lately about the processes of life. There is no way to get around them, they are inevitable, but they are so important. These processes are what bring us joy. We put in the effort to begin something and then we realize that we may not see the fruits of our labors for years, in fact, we may never see them in this life.

Every good thing has a process: growing up, learning, having children, teaching them, becoming more like the Savior, and so on. All the mundane aspects of life also have processes too: cooking, cleaning, growing plants, building things, sewing, etc. We may not see the bulk of the process because we are consumers, but consider the effort it takes from seed to plate for just one vegetable. I think it's miraculous, actually.

So why all this talk about processes? It's because we live in an impatient world that wants everything now. We want knowledge now, we want beauty now, we want wealth now, we want patience now. Hehe... It never happens this way. Nothing worthwhile comes in an instant, even if it seems that way. I include myself in this when I say that we need to make peace with the processes that life offers us and learn from them. Then we will be able to truly enjoy the fruits of our labors.

I thought of a song by the Weepies that illustrates what I have been thinking about. It's called "Takes So Long":

I don't know why, I don't know why
I don't know why it takes so long

I cut my hair, I grow it back
First the thought and then the act
To think a plant up towards the sun
It can't be done, it can't be done

I don't know why, I don't know why
I don't know why it takes so long

I see you now, I saw you then
I know you more, and different
I can't contain it, still complain
Love's a weed, trust is rain

I don't know why, I don't know why
I don't know why it takes so long
I don't know why, I don't know why
I don't know why it takes so long

In a moment wings unfurl
A butterfly, a little girl
Star pieces fall to the ground
Streaks of light, just tonight

Sam and Libby, Lib and Sam
Made a little one of them
A baby's born a man to die
I don't know why, I don't know why

I don't know why, I don't know why
I don't know why it takes so long
It takes so long
It takes so long
It takes so long

We may not understand at first why the processes of life must take place, but I think it becomes clearer to us as we put out heart into our daily efforts. Each day is a part of the whole that is our life. The result can be joyful or miserable. It's our choice.