Patience

Sunrise in winter.

The rising of devotion in an ordinary soul is like the dawning of a new day. Darkness is not driven away immediately. Light comes in small increments, moment by moment. The saying is that a slow cure is best. Sicknesses of the soul are like those of the body. They come galloping in on horseback, but depart slowly on foot.

Have courage and by patient. Many see themselves as still imperfect after trying to be devout a long time. The opposite temptation is far more hazardous. Some figure everything is fixed on the first day! They have scarcely begun. They want to fly without wings. They are taking a great risk of relapse if they stop seeing the doctor too soon.

Purging the soul is a lifetime effort. There is no reason to be upset by our imperfections. Perfection is nothing more than fighting against them. How can we resist them unless we see them? How can we overcome them unless we face them?

--St. Francis de Sales
The Introduction to the Devout Life