Longsuffering

Wednesday is a great day. Every Wednesday morning is Preschool Chapel time. It's a time for me to have a blast singing and dancing with an energetic bunch of kids. This morning I was continuing to teach them about the "fruit of the Spirit" (Galatians 5:22-23). It's a great subject for two, three and four year olds. The last three weeks have gone pretty smoothly. Love, Joy and Peace are fairly easy to explain to them. But, how do explain "longsuffering" to a child? Preschoolers are not always known for their patience. But, so often we underestimate their understanding. After I shared, they began to share examples with me to confirm that they were beginning to grasp the occasional need to wait (and to show love, joy and peace in the meantime). One little child shared that her mommy was going to have a baby - very appropriate in the context. Before long, at least 10 children had raised their hands and shared examples from their daily lives that required patient endurance. I'm finishing the day wondering if it's easier to get preschoolers on board with longsuffering than it is adults? It seems with each passing year we get more demanding and impatient. Does impatience impact love? joy? peace? I suspect the relationship between these virtues is fairly strong in our lives.