Robert's Reflections
August 26, 2001

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God's Patience

Last week I was teaching the girls how to use the riding mower. It was one for the books. While they quickly understood the workings of all those levers and gears, they took a bit longer to figure out how to drive the thing and especially where to drive it. At first they were going over the same places they had already cut. Then they went in erratic circles and made strange shapes, as they tried to cut the grass. I wanted to run out there and take the mower away from them, and show them how to cut grass "properly" (nice even lines and edges, etc.), but I just let them learn on their own. Eventually the grass got cut, and at the end they were getting pretty good.

I could not help but think about how God must see us in our feeble, fumnbling, stumbling efforts to serve Him and learn life's lessons. It would be easy for God to step in and take over. He would guarantee that it would be done right the first time. But what would we learn if He did that? While we have God's commands, it is still up to us to face all that life throws at us and learn how to keep those commands, while living in this world. James put it best when he said, "My brethren, count it alljoy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect -work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." (James 1:24).

We will make many mistakes, and there will always be consequences to help steer us in the right way. But we learn and grow in our ability to make the right choices, as we endure life. As for the girls and their grass cutting, sure they made a lot of mistakes, and yes, there were consequences. It took twice as long, they had to cut the same areas over again to get it all and they used more fuel than necessary. But they got it done, and began to learn the fine art of lawn mowing. And just think about how much better they will do the next time. Aren't you glad God patiently gives us time to learn how to get it right?