Patience

I was going through a friends posts on his blog and I found the following. I am posting it here as text rather than giving the link because I haven't asked whether he'd mind if I did that. I also haven't asked him yet whether he minds if I copy and paste it here, so I'll leave it anonymous until I do so.

Honestly, I'm a little afraid he might say no and it's too good not to share it, so here it is (for now, at least):

One afternoon about a week and a half ago, I went for a walk. As I looked up at the sky, and at the mountains and trees around me, I thought about God's greatness.

God is not in a hurry. He has the world completely under control, and as his creation shows, he is amazingly wise, incredibly powerful, supremely creative, and deeply benevolent. He has his own plans, which move along at exactly the right pace. Certainly, he is more than capable of handling me and my problems, so small next to the vastness of the universe, and of handling the rest of his children as well. Slowly but surely, he continues to bring me closer to Christ-likeness. He punishes me, speaks to me, teaches me, reminds me, and gives me strength at just the points I need it. Yet still, I have a choice in the matter, and he doesn't force me. I can, it seems, delay the process and mess things up by my own folly and failures. Yet still he is patient with me. He does not treat me like a dog, but as his child.

Why does he lavish so much attention and care on us humans? You'd think that, with a whole universe to take care of, he'd turn to something or someone bigger, smarter, or more powerful. And he does care for these. Yet we seem to be the center of his attention.

I'd like to meet this God. Even though I'm sure I wouldn't be able to handle it at this point, I want to see him someday. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Matthew 5:8

Furthermore, I want to be able to offer him something -- to say, "Look. I did something useful with my life, with what you gave me." And I want to be able to share the joy of life with God with at least a few other people, and see them in the throne room when I get there.

No hurry, but don't waste any time, either!

Though God is in control, and apparently nothing surprises him, he can still become sad or angry. He is saddened by the things humans do to each other, by the foolish choices we make, and by the blessings we miss as a result. When an individual or group persists in disobedience, he can become angry. Still, he is in no hurry, but brings judgment at the proper time.

Such patience is almost incomprehensible to us human beings, with our short lifespans and shorter tempers. Yet as his children, he calls us to be like him, and to see things from the eternal perspective.

Thinking about all this helped me calm my thoughts, which were in a bit of a turmoil earlier that day.

I guess this is where patience comes from -- the knowledge that God is in control, and that he is working out his plans for our good at his pace.