patience

"Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears."

Steve's question came just moments after my eyes had headed to the clock for the fifth time in as many minutes. No, Matthew hadn't been home since we left him at the shops almost four hours earlier and although I wasn't terribly concerned, it was getting a bit late.

Matt had shown great restraint after Church that morning and tried very hard not to start dragging us out the door as soon as it was over. He took the car keys and went to wait in the car until we were ready to go. Everything inside him wanted to get started on his plans for the rest of the day and as far as he was concerned, anything else was just a distraction.

Not even the offer of going to the Football or rock climbing with the Youth group that afternoon could dissuade him, although he was momentarily tempted. In the end, the lure of the Video Shop was much too strong for a 13-year-old boy to resist. He'd been looking forward to borrowing a new release video game all day and when he weighed the options that still came out on top.

"Even if the game's not back yet, it doesn't matter," he'd cheerfully informed us as the car stopped near the Shopping Center. "I'll just play with the one they have on display until it turns up. There's six copies due back today."

With a wave Matt had jumped out of the car and headed over to the Video Shop to claim his "prize". We watched as he almost skipped across the pedestrian crossing in front of us, then bounced confidently across the car-park.

The afternoon passed fairly quickly and I only realized how late it was when I noticed that I was listening for the sound of Matt's feet running down the driveway. That was when the clock watching began.

Steve's question spurred me to action. Collecting the keys from the kitchen counter I headed to the garage saying, "I think I'll just wander down and see where he is."

Moments later I was heading across the busy Sunday afternoon shopping center car-park, fairly certain of finding Matt where I expected. Sure enough, I hadn't even walked through the Video Shop door when the very downcast face of my son appeared before my eyes. As he made his way toward me it wasn't hard to tell that his plans had all fallen in tatters around his feet.

"Hi babe!" I smiled encouragement and threw an arm around his shoulders. "Do you want to come and get some groceries with me?"

Matt nodded with a sigh and allowed me to steer him out of the Video Shop toward the Supermarket.

The fact that he was disheartened was more than obvious. For almost four hours Matthew had waited in that shop in the hope that someone would return one of the games he was hoping for. But no one had. Even worse, the display game had been disconnected for the day so there'd been nothing to keep him amused during his long, lonely vigil.

To be honest, I would never have thought Matt had the ability to wait that patiently for anything. Patience has never been one of his strong points. The difference this time was that the goal and reward for his patience seemed worth enduring the boredom of the wait.

Of all the fruit of the Spirit, I believe that this fruit of patience is one of the hardest to cultivate in our lives. We live in a world that demands instant gratification. Everything needs to be done yesterday and taking time to smell the roses just doesn't rate very high on our daily "to do" lists.

We need patience in our lives, yet most of us aren't eager to go through the things that will develop this fruit. In this fast paced, high tech society, waiting for anything doesn't come easily.

Yet the only way to grow patience in our lives is to experience those times when the answers don't come quickly.

The use of the word "patience" in the list of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), could just as easily be translated as longsuffering, forbearance or fortitude. It means that in spite of the way things look, we're willing to hold on and wait for the promised answer. No matter how long it takes, we'll stand firm in faith and believe that what we know to be true will come to pass.

Unfortunately we often become discouraged because God's promises don't always happen straight away. We stand in faith and believe, but as time goes by and the journey becomes harder, we start to doubt and give up.

We often think of Job as being the epitome of Biblical patience, yet the one who stands out to me is Abraham. As it says in Hebrews:

"When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, 'I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.' And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised."

When Abraham received God's promise he still had a long wait before he'd see even the first part of it fulfilled. At one point Abraham tried to help God along by having a child through his wife's maidservant, but by taking matters into his own hands he actually complicated everything. If God has promised something for our lives, then we have to be patient as He pulls everything together to make this promise a reality.

All God asks of us is that we remain faithful as we wait. He also asks us to make sure that what we're waiting for is the same as what He's promised.

As I talked to Matt about what had happened that afternoon, he shared the fact that he'd prayed for God to bring one of the games back to the store. His frustration was very real when he said, "I waited and waited and was so patient. I kept thinking if I just wait 15 minutes more God will make it turn up."

Putting a hand on my son's shoulder I quietly asked, "Matt, did God promise you the video game?"

"Yes," I began carefully, not wanting to damage his precious faith yet wanting to make sure it was founded on truth. "But we have to be sure that what we're asking for is His will. After all, someone could wait patiently for God to give them a famous movie star as their wife or husband, but it doesn't mean it's going to happen."

The light of revelation dawned on Matthew's face and with it came a groan from the bottom of his boots.

"ARGH! I can't believe I've wasted this whole afternoon when I could have gone to the footy or rock climbing or just been at home having fun!"

Wasted? I don't think so. For one thing he's shown that he has the ability to patiently wait for the things that he passionately cares about. For another he's discovered a truth that will last a lifetime. Then there's also the fact that the actual experience of waiting patiently has added to the development of that fruit in his life.

We can have complete assurance that God's promises to His children are most definitely worth waiting for. All He requires of us is a little bit of faith and a whole lot of patience.

"We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised."