Patience
(From August 2003)
I met him at the Campout. An impish little boy with a curiosity and zest
for doing things that always seemed to have him in a precarious, if not
scary position. We were in the YMCA Indian Guides organization. My
own son Shawn was always on the run, playing, discovering and having
a good time at camp. Andy was just a little shy of four years old at his
first camp out. I remember someone asking his father: "Mike, how high
is Andy allowed to climb?" Without raising his head, his father asked:
"Why...is he on the roof of the cabin?" "No" came the reply, "He's near
the top of that Cedar tree behind you".
This was to be the first of many times questions would be asked about
Andy. "Where is he? What is that? How did you get the eagle off the
flag pole?" One thing I wish I'd learned was the patience his father had.
Those things Andy always seemed to be doing had become expected
by 'Mike'. Andy was his fourth child, but the most inquisitive and active
of the group. Mike's patience was almost maddening to the rest of us.
How could he remain so calm in the face of the dangers and mischief
Andy always seemed to be getting into?
Since then, I've realized Mike instinctively knew there was nothing he
could do to calm or slow this little dynamo's zeal for life and discovery.
Mike's patience was also an earthy example of God's patience with us.
How would we react if our children became raging drunks, abusers of
children or women, thieves, killers or adulterers? Not many of us would
be able to sit in our lawn chair eating peanuts around the campfire while
our son was climbing a tall cedar tree...how patient would we be, while
our son was killing and enslaving millions of people in Concentration
camps...getting rich off the retirement funds of employees while the
company rushes into bankruptcy...or letting himself slide into a drunken
stupor and homelessness? These are just a few of the things God has
had to witness and grieve over with us. Then so many will never accept
His love and grace in Jesus....
I believe every time we sin we witness God's patience. Why else would
we still be alive and kicking? What other explanation is there for all the
good things we still experience in spite of our behavior? I believe God
wisely limited Carol and me to only one child, because he was a great
test of our patience. Mike had three like our Shawn and then...Andy. A
few of us have been blessed with the patience Mike exhibited. None of
us have the patience God has. I'm so thankful He does. I'm grateful that
His patience and love for us led to grace. The grace that gave Jesus...
His only begotten son, to die for us...to bring us to perfection in Him.
All praise and glory to God!
------------------------
Father, we offer our praise and prayers of thanksgiving for Your love and
patience for us. Give us more patience with our children and all those we
meet. Let us find examples in our lives to teach us how to be loving and
patient with others. Forgive our sins as we forgive. Teach us to forgive
ourselves. We who want to be like Jesus pray in His name.... Amen.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not
proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it
keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices
with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always
perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV
Steve _________________
© Steven Green 2003
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