And it is because we are like children, struggling to walk on broken legs, that He is moved in great compassion toward us, and He eternally delights in us and rushes to aid us in our struggle. ~Julian of Norwich
Which God? This One?
God taps his foot and checks the clock every few seconds. It’s clear he’s had it up to here with me. I am slow to learn. I repeat the same mistakes again, and again, and (just when I think I’ve mastered the technique of perfect living) again. His fingers rub at weary temples, the angels hovering nearby nod in sympathy. He sighs the words I’ve heard so often, “What am I going to do with you? Won’t you ever get it right?”
I am his disappointment.
Or This One?
God sits on the ground, cross-legged, in front of me. His hands are held out, his smile encourages my hesitant steps, his eyes fill with concern as I stumble. The same dip in the path, the same tree root hidden by grass trips me every time. If God doesn’t catch me, my face will meet painful gravel. But he knows. The angels watch for a signal as they position themselves around me. My ways, my wanderings, my wants are as familiar to my Father as his own thoughts.
I am his beloved child.
Which God do you awaken to each day? Who looks over your shoulder: An Accuser, or an Advocate?
The Apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13:4, love is patient. Patience is not a whim of the moment, but at the core of God’s character.
God is Patient: Capable of waiting, able to endure waiting, delay, or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset.
Is the fruit of patience growing in you? Are you patient with people and the slow progress they’ve made? Are you patient with your self, your failures and flaws? Are you patient with God and his confusing delays?
Even when you are not, God is patient.
In Lent We Remember: Love Is Patient
And all our sin toward one another results from this: The lower creature does not know how much it is loved by God, and so we live in darkness and selfish fear; afraid to give and forgive. So love must fill us and replace our emptiness and sin, for all our turmoil and harshness toward each other result from lack of love.
Julian of Norwich (1342-1413)
Will you let your patient Father love you today?
This is post two of our Lent To Love: A Return to the Source series on 1 Corinthians 13. Join us on the journey to Easter!
Photographs by M.E. Armbruster and M.C. Hunt
