Love is Patient
“If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” —1 Corinthians 13:2
Summer roses in River Forest, IL
The Harvard Study of Adult Development found that best predictor of a long life – above social class, IQ, and genes – is the presence of strong social ties and close relationships.
For most people, this is intuitive based on lived experience. However as naturopathic doctors, we often neglect to construct our approaches to patient care with this in mind. We are trained to treat a chief complaint, but what if the true root cause of the chief complaint is that our patient is lonely, or feeling hopeless, isolated, or disconnected?
Provided strong relational ties is the core of vitality, fostering them is well worth our attention. It’s easier said than done. Relationships are complex and take an investment of time and effort. They can often be hard and demanding. High divorce rates and social isolation are not without reason, and sometimes it’s easier to give up on a partnership or friendship rather than endure the hardship.
There is a reason the first attribute of love that is provided is patience. Without patience to endure the days when you are frustrated or disagree with someone, there can be no grounds for continued relationship. The etymology of the word patience is ‘long-suffering.’ Whether with a parent, sibling, spouse, or friend, everyone can relate to a feeling of enduring the long-suffering that is inevitably required in any relationship that is permanent.
Only once patience is established can the tender and beautiful attributes of love take root and grow - love is kind, it does not envy or boast, it is not proud. It is not self-serving or easily angered. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
How wonderful that every day we get an opportunity to practice patience and a standing invitation to have life to the fullest. A shift in perspective is not a treatment modality that we study in school, but perhaps it is the most effective.
At Columbus Naturopathic Medicine, we provide faith-based care to help you experience God’s design for meaning, purpose, and connection. If you are interested in working with Dr. Leah Gusching, you can learn more and schedule an appointment by clicking the link below.