Saturday November 29, 2008
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time, 1 Peter 5:6-7
It seems the waiting game is God’s way to help us into humility. I recall the story of the lady who told her pastor she needed patience. Her pastor began praying for all sorts of calamities to befall her until she told him to stop. “Tribulation worketh patience” (Rom. 5:3) he responded, quoting the King James Bible that she knew so well. If we are to attain that peaceable spirit that most of us long for, being able to wait is often part of the process.
Besides, waiting is the opportunity for God to speak to us. There is so much of the mundane in life that gives us time to think—providing we turn the ipod off! Driving, walking, household chores and waiting rooms are time given to us for considering the important things in life, and waiting for tests and results for health concerns can certainly give us a sense of real priorities.
As I mentioned yesterday, some of our grandchildren are with us this weekend, coming because they felt the need to visit with us during this uncertain time. And what a joy this is. Lee joined Dan and his wife Joelle, their one year old adorable Norah, for a delightful family time. Karen, our daughter (not Lee and Dan’s mother!), husband Al, his mom and their son Dustin also came for a great family supper. Later we relived some shared memories by slide show of Dan and Jo’s marriage four years ago. We are overwhelmed by God’s goodness in the family he has given us. If we have to wait, what better way to do so?
This all makes us aware of those with broken families or rebellious children who miss this togetherness and the heartache it brings. Pain comes in all sorts of clothes, and broken families and broken health are all part of the landscape of life. But I find it harder to be despondent about my difficulties when we receive so much of God’s bounty elsewhere. The two are just not comparable!
No comments:
Post a Comment