Patient Encouragement

The patient and encouraging heart of our Savior always amazes and humbles me. I love His patient love for Mary. At the wedding she confronted Him--"they've run out of wine; do something about it." Now why she would ask Him that puzzles me unless she knew something we don't--that He had already proven to her that He could do something about it--but that's heresy. Shh. Don't tell anyone. But when Mom asked. Son did. And at the cross in terrible agony, who was He deeply concerned about? Mary. "John, take care of My mother." And why did He call her, "Woman"? I think to constantly remind her of something as she treasured up the moments of His life, struggled with doubt and confusion, stood at the foot of the cross and watched His suffering. Remind her of what? Where it all began: the angel Gabriel stood in front of this terrified young women who was definitely committed to God, and said, "Mary, blessed art Thou among women." "Always remember, Mother, who you are, and the Father's opinion of you and His confidence in you."

And the disciples! Over and over He tried to teach them. Over and over they missed it. When He spoke literally, they thought spiritually. When He spoke spiritually, they though literally. But He never stopped teaching. After the Resurrection, He sought them out, encouraged them, taught them more, and confidently sent them out to save the world. And they didn't learn the lessons until long after graduation day--when He sent them the Spirit to make the lessons plain and to empower them to live them out.

Now, of course, I have never done any of that stuff: demand that He do something for me--now, struggle with what He was up to, wept over a loss I didn't understand, forgotten who I am in Christ no matter the circumstances, missed the truth He was trying to teach me--for years, betrayed Him in fear of what might happen to me if I stood up for Him--nope, not me. Right. And how has He responded to this old man's ups and downs for seventy plus years. Did wonderful things for me and those I love when the only possible reason for doing them was to reassure me of His love. Reminded me over and over again of whose I am--of the fact that who I am in Him is all that matters. I cannot escape His eternal love--doubts and struggles and failures notwithstanding. Kept on teaching me time and time again what I needed to know about Him, the service He needed me to do for Him (not men), and that by relying on the indwelling Spirit in me (talk about an undeserved miracle!!!), I could do all the things He called me to do because He would be my joyous strength.

Oh, the patient encouraging heart of our Savior. And, oh!, that I might develop the same heart for everyone He brings into my life. What a difference it would make! And only pride and the selfish fear of men keeps if from being so. "God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble."