Top 3 Attributes I want to nurture in myself: Patience

I desperately need to cultivate this in myself. I'm impatient in a lot of ways and relationships, whether with a guy or with girlfriends are no different.

I'm a bit of a control freak. I drive everywhere because I hate relying on other people to be ready to leave at a moment's notice if I want to scoot off. I'll drive somewhere if I know I want to control when I leave rather than have people over and have to wait for them to leave. I know, I am horrible. Next time I'm over someones house, I just know that they'll be waiting for me to leave. I'm impatient waiting for people and situations.

There is a need for patience though. To have the patience to get to know someone gradually and not to assume things about them. A need for patience when a situation requires thought and thoroughness rather than gut instinct and slapdash quality. I need patience to give people second, third, ninth, thousandth chances. I need patience to invest into relationships so that when things don't go right, I'm focusing on why they're not going right instead of not going to plan because how can you "plan" a relationship? These things don't happen on a schedule. After 2.6 years, you are not supposed to be expecting a ring on that exact date. You should be questioning something however if you've hit the 5-7 year date and no wedding bells (provided you've both agreed to head in that general direction). Sorry, I digress.

I need to learn patience because how is someone supposed to deal with me and my impatient ways if they themselves are not patient? You reap what you sow for sure. How many times must God sit there (surrounded by clouds, peering down at us whilst angels warble happily beside him- cos that's obviously what God is like.....) wondering what on Earth (and Heaven) He's going to do with me when I wander off, determined to forge my own path? He still has the patience to answer my prayers, give me second chances to the nth degree and come to me when I call. How much more so should I be be wanting this particular quality for myself then?