That elusive virtue...patience

I used to joke with my friends in college that patience was a virtue........that I didn't have!  (Hey, I never claimed to be a comedian.)  Certainly those who have known me longest might find some truth in my joke.  However, as with many other things in life, the truth isn't quite as cut and dried as that. 

I readily admit that I can be incredibly impatient in certain situations.  For example, after driving for two years in Washington DC when I was younger I have a very limited amount of patience behind the wheel.  I'm not proud of it, but it is what it is at this point.  That's exhibit A.

And yet, I have been known to have patience as well.  Many years ago I worked methodically to pay off some debt I had accumulated.  It took a couple years, and was not without failure, but in the end I accomplished it.

In LA I had a chance to visit the Getty Center, which is this incredible art museum perched atop a hill in the Santa Monica mountains. The view was absolutely breathtaking.  Actually, the museum itself was a work of art and quite intriguing to visit.  The major piece that they have on display there is Van Gogh's Irises.

It's a very famous piece of artwork.  From this view the work of the painter comes together seamlessly.  I'm hardly an art scholar but even I can appreciate a masterpiece!  But let's take a closer look:

Looking at the painting a bit closer you begin to see the individual brushstrokes that went into this masterpiece.  I love looking at paintings up close like this and marveling at the genius of the artists.  Van Gogh must have been able to envision the end result even before he put a single brush on the canvas.  The paint is very thick in some places and you can see that he must have had to spend some significant time completing even just one part of this piece. Artistically, I have no creative bone in my body like this and to study it up close just boggles my mind! I am left in awe of what this talented person left behind.

In creating a painting of this size, Van Gogh also showed an incredible amount of patience. He painted this in the year before he died, a time of prolific creation for him.  His patience wasn't demonstrated by the passage of time but in the careful patience of an artist who was bringing a vision in his mind to life. Each stroke brought him closer to his goal.

I reflect on this because it reminds me that the goals I have set forth for myself are 'masterpiece' goals. I am not aiming to complete a paint-by-number goal, where the work is laid out before me and very likely one-dimensional.  No, my goals are many, layered and very complex.  This blog is a chance for me to step back from the area where I am working and view my work in totality.  Patience is absolutely essential for my success!

Unfortunately, I don't have the talent of a master. I am a mere, fallible mortal after all.  However with God's help I am working to accomplish the impossible!

Just for fun, here's a photo from the Getty Center (I highly recommend a visit):