美國科羅拉多州有個怪異的運動──用鼻子推花生上山頂。如今鮑勃．塞勒姆（Bob Salem）是這項運動的紀錄保持人。他用七天的時間，用鼻子（或說用貼在臉上的一支湯匙）將一粒花生推上了派克峰山頂。為了避開觀光客的打擾，他選擇在夜間進行。鮑勃是第四個完成這項壯舉的人，這表示還有其他三位非常有忍耐力的人也成功了。

也許，有人認為他們的忍耐力是自討苦吃，但在生活中並非如此，很多時候我們都需要忍耐。忍耐是聖靈的果子（加拉太書5章22節），也是「成全完備，毫無缺欠」所必須具備的美德（雅各書1章4節）。當周圍的人驚慌失措時，心存忍耐的人沉著冷靜。他們固然希望情況能改變，但並不需要真的有所不同。他們堅持到底，信靠上帝的智慧，明智應對（5節）。

要學會忍耐只有一種方式，雅各說：「你們的信心經過考驗，就產生忍耐」（3節，新譯本）。這種考驗可大可小。就像此時我正在機場寫這篇文章，原本晚上11點要起飛的航班延到凌晨2點，最後竟然取消了。一夜未眠之後，我大口灌著咖啡，期盼早點回家。我不喜歡在機場昏昏欲睡並浪費一整天，但慈愛的天父正在讓我學習忍耐。

我祈求上帝讓我今天就可以不必再學習忍耐，但誰知道呢？是時候去查看下一班飛機的候補名單了。

Bob Salem holds the speed record for pushing a peanut up Pike’s Peak with his nose—or rather, with a spoon attached to his face. He accomplished the feat in seven days, working at night to avoid interruption from tourists. Bob is the fourth person to complete this stunt, which means three other very patient people have done it.

We might say their need for patience was self-inflicted, but so often in life that isn’t the case. We need patience. It’s a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and an essential virtue for becoming “mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:4). Patient people keep their heads when everyone around is in full panic. They’d like the situation to be different, but they don’t need it to be. They stay the course, trusting God for wisdom to act wisely (v. 5).

The problem with patience is there’s only one way to learn it. James says “the testing of your faith produces patience” (v. 3 nkjv). Such testing comes in ways big and small. I’m writing this from an airport. My 11:00 p.m. flight was delayed until 2:00 a.m., then canceled. After a night without sleep, I’m chugging coffee and hoping to make it home sometime. I don’t like wasting an entire, drowsy day in an airport, but my loving Father is teaching me patience.  

I pray my lesson is finished for the day, but who knows? Time to check the standby list for the next flight.