Prime Patience

Nicole Johnson reflects on the need to be patient in waiting for God’s response to prayer — and the truth that being patient these days proves harder than ever.

Did you know Amazon is a thing in France? I didn’t. But when I was recently helping my son pack for a semester studying in Paris, I was struck with sudden onset packing panic: the certain fear that you will forget something important and this something is sure to impact the very quality of your travels and leave you pining for the comforts of home. A quick Google search calmed my fears with the assurance that I could get any critically needed items to my son, all within the coveted two-day Prime bubble I so happily operate in. 

Patience Is a Virtue ... a Virtue I don’t Seem to Have 

I am thrilled for my son, a student of fashion design, to have this opportunity to study in one of the fashion meccas of the world. That said, as is often the case with this mama, my excitement comes with a decent dose of anxiety. I am prone to panic about the safety of my children and can quickly go down a rabbit hole of what-ifs. No one needs to remind me to pray.

Handing over my children is a constant for me: every quiet moment filled with a stream of requests for God’s protection and guidance. The part I could use reminders about is the need to be patient and accepting of God’s timing. Much to my dismay, He doesn’t operate with the shipping mastery of the commercial giant I am so dependent on to meet my worldly needs — no, desires. Hello, my name is Nicole, and I have Prime Patience: the inability to wait more than two days for anything.  

With Amazon now delivering to over 100 countries, we humans worldwide (it’s not just me, is it?) have discovered the epic convenience of finding anything and everything we need at our doorstep by morning — or, for those more patient types, within 48 hours of ordering. If our package is late, we get an email with an apology. If we don’t like the shade, shape, or size of whatever it is we were sure we would love, we close the box and send it back: no questions, no charge, no hassle.

Amazon’s vision is “to be the most customer-centric company on Earth,” and the company’s mission is guided by four principles: customer obsession, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. I’d be the first to say this industry leader is 100% customer obsessed.  

Here’s the problem: The customers are deciding what they need. The customers are human. We humans are flawed. And broken. (Again, I ask … it’s not just me, is it?) While it’s true, and slightly disconcerting, algorithms know a lot about us and can make recommendations on items we are sure to love, it’s all based on appealing to our desires and won’t ever be able to determine what it is we really need.  

Case in point: I recently ordered a large mirror to hang over the couch in our sunroom. It was framed in rattan, which would complement other rattan accents in the room. I love nothing more than pulling the design of a room together and was certain this would be the final element to do just that. 48 hours after placing the order, I was unboxing it and very quickly realized this was not at all what the space needed. Back in the box it went. 

Waiting For God’s Response 

How many times in my life have I prayed for something I was certain I needed? How many tears have I shed when my prayers were, seemingly, left unanswered? I get it. Ardent prayer can’t be equally compared to submitting an Amazon order. But there is truth in the flawed human element of thinking we know what we need, be it a mirror framed in rattan or the intention we hold close to our hearts.

It was never really the fear of my son forgetting something material he might need that caused my anxiety. When I took a moment to be honest with myself, it was immediately clear that my deep desire to fulfill all my children's needs revived my constant battle for control. I’m his mama, after all. It’s my job to protect and provide. But it’s not my job to know all my children need.   

In the end, there is technically no one more customer-obsessed than our very Creator. You want to talk about passion for invention? Look no further than the guy who is focused on every last detail of our days and is continually looking to invent ways to lighten our cross and make all things work for good. Commitment to operational excellence? He’s got it in the bag … if we let Him, that is. His guidance and wisdom are ours for the taking and are the only things that will truly leave us operating with excellence. And while we are each called to live in the moment, we can do so resting in the truth that our long-term plan was figured out and set in motion the moment we were a thought in the mind of God.  

After sending the mirror back, I ended up ordering something entirely different for the space, something I never would have initially thought of. It’s been seven days, and it hasn’t even cleared customs yet. It’s a lesson in patience. Apparently, someone thinks I need to work on that. 

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Copyright 2025 Nicole Johnson
Images: Canva