When I prayed for patience, why did my life get more hectic?

Years ago I prayed for patience and wondered why my life got more hectic.  What about ask and you shall receive?  Where’s my freaken patience?   Years later, it finally sunk in:  If I ask for patience, the Universe will give me new opportunities to respond differently when a situation demanding patience arises.   I can choose to continue being pissed off, anxious and restless, or I can take the time to sit back and breathe and remind myself not to sweat the small stuff.   And that, yes, really, it is all small stuff.