By Shelley Hubal 

Cultivating patience takes practice. It is something that I try to work on every day, although some days are much easier than others. Long lines in the grocery store: a chance to stretch my back. Traffic on the parkway: a good opportunity to take a deep breath and get centered. Waiting for my kids to call or text: an opportunity to hold a loving space for them and remind myself they are independent adults. (This one is the hardest.) 

Why is patience important? Rumi says, “If I sit in my own place of patience, what I need flows to me, and without pain. From this I understand that what I want also wants me, is looking for me and attracting me.” 

What I realized recently is that it doesn’t matter what I “want”; my job is to make the space for my soul to live the life it was meant to live. To attract a life filled with love and peace. My soul, your soul, the soul of every living creature has a role in this world that God created. Meditation and prayer are methods of cultivating your “own place of patience.” When you meditate or pray, you are opening yourself to the flow of life. Meaningful prayer is a way of saying to God “here is my heart, fill it with your light,” and then it is your job to wait patiently, observe and move toward love. 

The eight nights of Hanukkah give us eight reminders that God is always present. We are reminded that we are each filled with God’s light and love, and that we must share that light with the world.

This Hanukkah I am wishing you all the fullness of God’s love and light. May your soul’s path always be illuminated.