Aren’t you glad God is so patient?
I am.
And you know why? Because he sees before the now, beyond the now, and in spite of the now. He sees us through the lens of eternity. He knows who came before us to bring us about, and he knows who will come after us that we bring about. So, he patiently waits for us to wade through all the muck of our poor decisions until we mature into his awareness.
Take me for example. I mean, only a patient God could endure my sporadic tears of crying out in my 20’s to be married and have a family–knowing in several years, in my 30’s, I would be crying out within a loveless and debilitating marriage.
Only a patient God could endure my tears of loneliness as a young, single professional (again, in my 20’s)–knowing in a few years (my 40’s) I would be crying out for “me time” during this season of parenting alone after my divorce.
Only a patient God could endure my tears (this time in my 20’s and 30’s) of desiring to be a mommy to my own children and not just to my nieces and nephews or the students in my stead–knowing in a few years (my early 40’s) I would be crying out for patience, strength, endurance, wisdom, and solitude as I rear and guide my sweet boys to His purpose for their lives.
Only a patient God could endure my tears of frustration as a young professional (in my 30’s) with two jobs (teaching and tutoring) while working on my Master’s degree–knowing in a few years (my 40’s) I would lose everything within my marriage and subsequent divorce and have to rebuild my life using the very skills and trainings received from those positions and that degree I had so often cried out to him about.
I could go on and on. But, what I want your takeaway from all this to be is NOT that I was an apparent crybaby (jeez!), but that God’s patience is long-suffering and His love is eternal. He often doesn’t take away the pain because we live in such a fallen world, but He does refresh us with his grace, which often displays itself in the sweetest ways like kindness from a complete stranger or the softness and peace of a beautiful sunrise!
So, be encouraged!
TRUST! No matter what season you’re in, God is putting together that masterpiece that is your life–one…puzzle piece…at a time…which, when he is done, will simply be a beautiful image of himself.
Excellent!!