Have a little Patience

The other day I was on a bike ride with my kids. We crossed a busy Huntingdon road at a pedestrian crossing, with the older two going ahead, but my youngest hesitated staying on the pavement with me in the middle of the road waiting while the lights went back to green. She’s only little and got a bit flustered. I tried to hold the traffic for a moment for her, but I ended up going back to her side to wait for the next chance. No one was in danger. 

But on my side of the road a boy racer revved his engine and raced past me, obviously not pleased with how my 5 year old’s hesitation had eaten up a few extra seconds of his very important day. On the other side, a driver was still waiting for us well into the green light, holding up the traffic patiently to let me and my daughter cross the road. 

One patient driver and one impatient driver. The impatient driver nearly ruined my day, and the kind driver nearly made my day! 

It’s not easy being patient in this busy world, where communication is instant, deadlines are due yesterday, and the complexities of the Covid pandemic have left us all feeling so frustrated and longing for normality to return. 

So where do we go to find patience? Well the Bible says that God is patient. 

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance”. 

When we realise how patient God is with us, it helps us to be patient with others. There’s a wonderful story that Jesus tells of a runaway son who wastes all his father’s money on wild living. When he returns to his Dad, he finds he has been patiently looking out every day, longing for his return. And when he sees the son, he runs out to hug him and welcome him. 

When it comes to forgiveness God runs. When it comes to anger, God is a slowcoach. He is incredibly patient. He’s longing for us to come back to him. 

When I think how patient God has been to me over my life, despite how I have treated him, I’m blown away by his patience. It helps me to be a little more patient with others, and a little more patient with life, when it takes a while. 

Thanks for listening, and have a great day

Followed by "Patience" by Take That

Charlie Newcombe 4/8/21