Patience

So, I was on my way to a gathering of Christ followers (we used to call it Church, but I think that was too easy to understand. This newspeak is much more elitist and selfserving, and probably helps to further alienate the unseeking seekers we're seeking to seek. Whenever I get into the whole ultra cool postmod lingo with my friends, they're like, "on your way to a what, now?" so i start explaining this gathering/meeting thing with music, and somebody sharing relavent wisdom from some ancient manuscripts... and they're like.. "oh yah, you mean church" then they look at me like I'm irrelevant, and they go, "why didn't you just say so". and I'm like, "if you want to understand me, you have to read bluelikejazz first. Because I've made the move to cultural relevance".....)

now, where was I...

oh yeah, on my way to what-we-used-to-call-church, with the kids in the soccerVan. Two of my boys start a little skirmish thing that seemed a little loud for early in the morning in the small soccerVan. But it was positive and friendly, so I'm thinking...hmmmm.... this is getting on my nerves. But really, they're not hurting anything. Their mom (my 'what-we-used-to-call-wife') is on a string of nightshifts, (legitimate reason to forsake the Gathering) so she's not in the soccerVan. So, they're not really bothering anybody but me. And, I figure, we're almost there.You know I have a few trump cards that can end it pretty quick. But I hold my cards. So, let them continue to prepare their hearts for 'what-we-used-to-call-worship' in whatever way seems good to them. I can be patient. Patient, knowing Relief comes when I unload them on their 'what-we-used-to-call-SundaySchoolTeachers'.

So, I flip my rearview mirror to its night setting, and smile, feeling like I'm an awesome dad for letting the boys make a happy commotion on the way to what-we-used-to-call-church.

Feeling like I'm patient.

A while later, I'm in the gathering formerly known as church. The band is playing, some song about how great God is. With no known relevance to the song, God says, " You remember that I'm eternal, eh?" Wait. let me try to explain. No voices, really. its just the voice 'in my head'. And it seems God always speaks to me in the most familiar voice. So, just like when God spoke to Samuel, and was repeatedly mistaken for Eli his spiritual teacher, God has spoken to me in the most familiar of Godly voices. My dad. So when God speaks to me, he says "eh" because dad says "eh". I think God is pretty cool that way. So God says, "You remember that I'm eternal, eh" in this Torontonain accent. Which is one way that I figure it was God speaking. But, it starts this wild chain of thoughts in me. God's patience is rooted in His eternity. its not like my play-doh patience. He's got the real thing. He doesn't just put up with us until He can't take it anymore. He doesn't get 'annoyed' from a frame that is weakened by nothing in the cupboard but decaf coffee. He is angered from a center of great strength. No frazzled nerves. No "just can't take it anymore". He does shut us down when things go too far for our own or anothers good. He just doesn't ever get 'fed up'. He always ends things for Stronger reasons. His patience is always watching His timing, not guaging to see how far He can go before He snaps.

So, I'm hungering for more of that God-patience within, to take the place of my play-doh patience. I don't think God ever finds himself "feeling patient". He just IS.

"You remember that I'm Eternal, eh?"