Patience is a virture - for everyone else
I am a product of American society.
- I don't prepare a meal when I have money for the drive-thru.
- When our wireless internet takes more than a second to two to go to the website I want, I assume something is wrong with our computer and hit the 'REFRESH' button over and over until the site appears.
- If I know the stop light is unusually long I'll find a way around it.
- If I Tivo a ballgame I'll skip ahead to the end watching the score change quickly in the upper left hand corner.
- I hate when a DVD won't let you skip past the FBI warning straight to the menu.
I don't like waiting. I don't like being patient when it comes to time. When dealing with people patience is not so much of an issue, but time is a different story. I value my time and I don't want to waste it. You know, sort of like Jesus.
Well, not exactly.
Jesus excelled in patience. Not the kind that allows a person to wait in a long line and keep whistling a happy tune. Not the kind of patience that helps a person keep their cool when some bonehead holds up traffic for no reason. That's showing acts of patience when the situation warrants - "incidental patience" if you will. But for Jesus patience was more of a personality, a day-to-day approach to life. At no point in the gospels do you get the sense that Jesus was in a hurry. A storm is raging, waves are crashing, disciples are squealing, death is knocking at the door and Jesus is what? Furiously paddling trying to get to the other side? Ditching the disciples and sprinting across the water to save his own skin? No and no. He's sleeping. No big deal.
A great friend is sick and on his deathbed. His sisters have sent for Jesus believing He could do something to help. Does He drop everything and take an express camel to his friend? Does He have Simon Peter hold all His appointments until He's handled this matter? Not at all. He waits. He waits a few DAYS!! He waits until after the friend dies and then decides to go for a visit.
Jesus went off to lonely places to pray when the crowds were begging for another show. Jesus took time to reflect on the theological significance of sparrows, lillies, fields, sheep, banquets, and bread. He understood the value of being still, getting away, for the sake of being still and getting away. Despite all He had to do He never missed a moment to rest, to get away from it all, and to simply "be."
Our family leaves tomorrow for a ski resort in central VA. I'm really excited about the time to be with my wife and boys with no place to be, no schedule, and no reason to be in a hurry.
When was the last time you spent time just "being?"
- I don't prepare a meal when I have money for the drive-thru.
- When our wireless internet takes more than a second to two to go to the website I want, I assume something is wrong with our computer and hit the 'REFRESH' button over and over until the site appears.
- If I know the stop light is unusually long I'll find a way around it.
- If I Tivo a ballgame I'll skip ahead to the end watching the score change quickly in the upper left hand corner.
- I hate when a DVD won't let you skip past the FBI warning straight to the menu.
I don't like waiting. I don't like being patient when it comes to time. When dealing with people patience is not so much of an issue, but time is a different story. I value my time and I don't want to waste it. You know, sort of like Jesus.
Well, not exactly.
Jesus excelled in patience. Not the kind that allows a person to wait in a long line and keep whistling a happy tune. Not the kind of patience that helps a person keep their cool when some bonehead holds up traffic for no reason. That's showing acts of patience when the situation warrants - "incidental patience" if you will. But for Jesus patience was more of a personality, a day-to-day approach to life. At no point in the gospels do you get the sense that Jesus was in a hurry. A storm is raging, waves are crashing, disciples are squealing, death is knocking at the door and Jesus is what? Furiously paddling trying to get to the other side? Ditching the disciples and sprinting across the water to save his own skin? No and no. He's sleeping. No big deal.
A great friend is sick and on his deathbed. His sisters have sent for Jesus believing He could do something to help. Does He drop everything and take an express camel to his friend? Does He have Simon Peter hold all His appointments until He's handled this matter? Not at all. He waits. He waits a few DAYS!! He waits until after the friend dies and then decides to go for a visit.
Jesus went off to lonely places to pray when the crowds were begging for another show. Jesus took time to reflect on the theological significance of sparrows, lillies, fields, sheep, banquets, and bread. He understood the value of being still, getting away, for the sake of being still and getting away. Despite all He had to do He never missed a moment to rest, to get away from it all, and to simply "be."
Our family leaves tomorrow for a ski resort in central VA. I'm really excited about the time to be with my wife and boys with no place to be, no schedule, and no reason to be in a hurry.
When was the last time you spent time just "being?"
posted by CoryJones at 10:50 PM
1 Comments:
I can really use one of those weeks,,,,where there is no clock, no phone, no pager, no computer,,,someplace warm, with sand and ocean, and a tiki-hut. AHHHHHHHHHHHH Calgon, take me away. :)
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