OK, so musician Tom Petty probably didn’t coin that phrase. He probably wasn’t even the first to utter those words, but since “Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Greatest Hits” was one of the first CDs I owned, his voice is the first I hear when I think those words to myself. And how true they are.

As I write this, I’ve been on the phone with my phone company/Internet provider for 62 minutes and 18 seconds. And I’m sick of waiting. I’ve heard the same three or four commercials dozens of times (they are all sounding the same at this point). I’m dying for some muzak at least.

Every five to seven minutes a friendly woman comes on the line, asks me to unplug and replug one of several cables to my Internet router, and then asks me to hold again. It’s not her fault, but each time this happens, the waiting becomes a little harder and I get just a bit more impatient and annoyed with her.

Don’t they know I have a column to write? I wonder how long people in third world countries have to wait on the phone to get their Internet back up and runing. Sixty-seven minutes and counting.

In a recent column I mentioned that my wife lost her corporate retail job earlier this year. After the initial shock wore off, and she began researching and interviewing with companies, the waiting became the hardest part again (besides interviewing—she really hates interviewing).

She had to go to work every day of the week and listen to others share joyfully about the new jobs they had found. She had to wonder why certain companies didn’t choose to hire her, even when she was overqualified for the position.

And once she received an offer, we had to wait for them to decide if they’d accept her terms.

The friendly lady just came back on and told me they will not be able to help me today, and they’ll have to send out a technician tomorrow sometime between 8 a.m. and noon. This is how far we got after a total of 78 minutes and 46 seconds. I must wait another 24 hours.

I guess the waiting in life, and human nature’s struggle against it, is why they say patience is a virtue. But patience is so hard—especially in this culture of high-speed Internet and fast food.

When I start to bite my nails—literally or figuratively—over some circumstance—big or small—that makes me feel impatient, it always helps to remember that the Bible has something to say on the topic.

Proverbs 19:11 says, “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.”

What little wisdom I do have, gleaned from life experience and study, reminds me that things will be OK. I can live without my Internet for awhile, and God has always provided for my family.

Colossians 3:12 says, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

There it is, right alongside all of the other qualities I am supposed to be exhibiting as one of God’s chosen. Patience is not only a virtue valued by the world; it is a fruit of the Spirit of the kingdom of God. It is an attribute that must be cultivated and put on like a favorite T-shirt, in order to be more readily practiced in all areas of life.

My wife is preparing to start her new job, and I am back online. The waiting may well be the hardest part, but adversity grows character—especially patience. Now if I can just remember that the next time I’m on hold.