The Weekly Epistle 9/16/20

Patience [ˈpāSHəns] NOUN     1. The capacity to accept or tolerate delay
 
If patience is a spiritual gift, then it is not one I possess. If I don’t keep myself in check, I am prone to gripe or take impetuous action when encountering inconvenient delays. 
 
Just this past weekend, I was growing impatient as I waited in one of life’s many waiting rooms. I expected to receive an answer on a matter on Sunday morning. The answer didn’t come. Then I expected to receive the answer by Sunday evening. Again, the answer didn’t come. Then I expected to receive the answer by Monday morning. And still, the answer didn’t come. 
 
Despite my naturally impatient disposition, I gave the matter over to the Lord and let it go. 
 
As I concluded my time of prayer, it occurred to me that waiting is a blessing. 
 
I don’t know why I never thought of it that way before, but it makes good sense. It gives God’s plan time to unfold. It gives time for our hearts to be formed. And if God is indeed good and concerned for our welfare well, the waiting should be equally good.
 
I asked the Lord to provide affirmation concerning my little epiphany. The next day, as I began to prepare for the upcoming worship service, I turned to Pastor Brian’s passage for his sermon and read these words. 
 
“The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
to the person who seeks Him.
It is good to wait quietly
for deliverance from the LORD.”
 
-Lamentations 3:25-26
 
How’s that for affirmation!
 
For sure, I do not possess the spiritual gift of patience. But the spiritual discipline of patience is available to me. The same discipline is available to you as well.
 
Are you currently stuck in one of life’s many waiting rooms? My guess is, God wants to bless you. The question is, are you willing to wait for the blessing? Waiting is hard. 
 
As Tom Petty sang,
 
“The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you get one more yard
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part”
 
Waiting is hard. Nevertheless, it is good. 
 
My God bless you in your waiting, 
 
Pastor Dan