When we ask for patience God does not give us patience exactly, but the opportunity to be patient. When we ask for courage God does not make our hearts courageous instantly, but he gives us the opportunity to be courageous. When we ask for love God does not make our hearts full of love, but the opportunity to fill our hearts with love. God is a God of opportunities; opportunities to grow, to bloom, and to bear much fruit. When we ask for a fruit, God gives us the seed, to bury in the ground, to protect from weeds, to water, to take care, only then do we get the fruit we ask for.
