The Mission over Impatience

Back in the fall of 2024, I went on my first duck hunt. I didn’t know what to expect. I had a shotgun (that was the wrong one), I had a pair of waders (that weren’t insulated, and I froze), some deer hunting camo (I now know the difference), and a hope to shoot a green-headed bird. We set up in the A-frame blind, threw out some decoys, and we were ready to get the party started. At shooting light, a single duck landed right in front of us, and after about 5 shots, that bird hit the water. I should note that I never took a shot. I wasn’t ready for how fast you have to get up and get after it. 

I thought to myself, “This is a great start. More birds are on the way.” The problem was that there were no more birds coming that day. After a few hours, we packed up and headed home. I never shot my gun once. The conversation was great. I was really enjoying the comradery that morning. However, there wasn’t much to talk about afterwards. Oh, and that duck that got shot? He wasn’t dead. He swam across the pond and up into the woods. We never found that duck. I’m sure there’s a coyote somewhere out there that had a delicious duck dinner on us. 

Twenty years ago, I would’ve decided that this was a waste of time. Who goes out with all this gear to just be ok with coming home empty-handed? Apparently, John Kelley from 2024 would. That trip flipped a switch in me, and I was getting ready to dive in headfirst. Since then, I’ve gotten all kinds of new gear: clothes, blinds, a kayak, decoys, and I got the right shotgun for the job….or two. I’ve also shot several ducks, a couple of geese, and missed an otter. My wife and kids have enjoyed eating fresh duck breasts, and we’ve even had a fancy duck gouda mac ’n cheese. I’ve fallen in love with hunting waterfowl.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned in the last year…..patience. When you see them coming, be patient as you call them in. When they’re on the water, be patient and don’t fire unless they’re in range of your shotgun. And when the ducks aren’t coming, be patient and come back another day. You can’t hunt ducks if you don’t have patience. 

I don’t know about you, but I struggle with patience. I’m one of the most impatient people I know. I HATE waiting for things that I think shouldn’t have to wait on. Ask my wife, she’ll tell you how impatient I can be, but she can also tell you that I have worked hard on it since we’ve had kids. John Kelley of 1997 and John Kelley of 2026 wouldn’t recognize each other. My impatience almost defined me back then. I hurt friendships with my impatience. I lost opportunities due to my inability to wait things out. I even caused issues in my own family from my impatience. Today, I still feel that impatience, but I don’t react to it like I used to. I’ve learned to dial it back and analyze the situation before I blow my lid.

The Bible talks a lot about patience. 


Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
Psalms 37:7

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Romans 12:12

But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Romans 8:25

Three different verses all talking about patience, but they do it in three different ways. In the first verse, David wants something done by the Lord, and he knows that patience is key. Anxiousness and anger won’t make things move fast. Instead, they just make the situation worse. Patience allows us to continue as normal even when we feel anxious.
The second verse focuses more on patience in the midst of troubles. Tribulation will come in our lives, but we must be patient in the midst of it. This one really comes down to focus. When we can focus more on our hope in Christ and spend time in prayer, we can work through those tough times when things simply aren’t going well. For many of us, we need to take that energy that we are putting into our impatience and simply redirect it. What we focus on is typically what drives our actions, emotions, and thoughts. Don’t give energy to impatience.

The third verse has a more eternal focus. As disciples of Christ, we have a hope in something we do not see. We hope for something beyond where we are. Our impatience here comes more from excitement over what is to come. It’s akin to the excitement a child has the night before Christmas, except on steroids. Of course, we can’t wait to spend eternity with Christ, but we have a job to do here. Our focus needs to be on sharing that hope with others.
As disciples, we are committed to the mission of Jesus. That means, even though we can’t wait to be in Heaven, we’ve got to make sure we are filling it up with new believers and training them up to be disciples of Christ who will do the same. 

There’s a reason that patience is a part of the fruit of the Spirit. Each of those things are traits of God Himself, and we long to be more like him. When we need something done, when trials and tribulations come upon us, or when we just want to be with Jesus, let’s remember that we have a mission that we are committed to and a God Who has our back. Take the focus off of our needs and desires, and let’s redirect them toward the goal we have been given by Jesus in the Great Commission.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
Matthew 28:19–20

We are blessed to have something so amazing to be a part of, and when we are focused on that mission, we don’t have the time or headspace to let impatience get in the way.