Thursday, April 27, 2006

Does Patience Get Impatient?

I am waiting for something. It has been over 24 hours. I am beginning to feel a restless stir in my stomach to know. I pray for patience. I try to think of other things.

And then I read, posted on a big yellow peice of paper at my desk,

"Impatient people are weak. Be strong!"
~John Piper~

Thanks Piper. I can always count on you to smack me when I need it.

I praise God that His patience never gets impatient. My patience always seems to run out, wear thin and fall apart. Truly, I dare say, what I call patience in myself it is not patience at all. I have no idea what real patience is like. Real patience can only be found in God Himself. All other displays of temporary acceptance of one's circumstance is immitation to the real thing.

God's patience has put up with trillions of me-like sinners for thousands of years. He endures my doubts, sins, unbelief and STILL gave me life this morning. He is patient with me as I question, complain, am ungrateful and demand my way. What kind of PATIENCE is that?

"The Lord is merciful and gracious,slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins,nor repay us according to our iniquities."
Psalm 108:8-10
THAT is God's kind of patience. I have a long way to go.

8 comments:

Kathie said...

Jaclyn,
Thank you for this post. I'm not struggling with patience, per se, but I am struggling with sin (specifically fear, right now...we fly to Canada on Saturday) It is encouraging to be reminded that God is patient with me even when I am struggling. I appreciate you!

How many days till you see the Esparzas??? I can't wait to hear about your visit :)
Kathie

Jaclyn said...

Only 27 days until I see your daughter's face! I am SO excited!!!!!!!

What part of Canada? It is beautiful up there! My aunt used to live in Calgary, Alberta and I was able to visit Banff, Edmonton and British Columbia. I would love to go back sometime!

Jacob Mentzel said...

A little over two years ago I was talking to my youth pastor about wanting to go after (i suppose pursue is the more dignified term some females prefer) this one particular gal in particular- particularly... and somehow in the course of conversation -yet completely unrelated to her- I was complaining about how impatient I am and how I'm even impatient in longing for God to grant me more patience. He just started laughing at me. "Yeah, that's about to change." Mmmmhmmm... at the time I was about 20 and Amanda was in the 15-16. Two years later we're 22 and 18... and still waiting for her parents to give us the green light to get married. And it's not getting any easier. Talk about a lesson in patience, eh?

Jaclyn said...

Has it been two years already? I remember the chat we had back then when you asked for my blessing to PURSUE, chase, go after.. whatever... Amanda. :-) You ALSO told me to frequenty remind you that you are crazy, do you remember that? :-P I do not think I have said it in a while...
JAKE- You are CRAZY!!! Yet, I admire your love for her and your patience to make her your bride.

Jacob Mentzel said...

Two years indeed Miss Jaci. And I am crazy. We've been officially together for two years and three days (Monday the 24th). I guess love always looks crazy... I've admired Amanda for as long as I've known her... Considered pursuing her since not long after her 15th birthday... Started it all not long after her 16th... And here we are still going. But we make it our constant hope that our mutual craziness exalts Christ, exalts marriage, and is a witness to the truth and beauty of the Gospel, even as I seek to make her my bride that I may love her nary as close to how Christ loved the church as God grants me the power and ability to do. Her friends at school (yes, public high school) think she's absolutely ridiculous. And she has to undergo just a little bit of scrutiny. Think about it, either its super cool that she's dating a guy in college, but come on, they've got to be sleeping together, right? Why else would a college guy want a girl in high school? And he obviously cheats on her. Or he's a complete loser. OR she's completely crazy because she really is serious about marrying this guy... and she's so young and she's not been out on her own, dated no other guys, not been to college, has no career, hasn't experienced much of life... and he's still a loser- and the list goes on, right? Now, my friends don't bat an eye... for obvious reasons. God bless them all. HA! My roommate just began pursuing Pastor Tim Bayly's daughter- 16 or 17 years old. He's 24. No blinking there. But the people I talk to... the ones that don't know me or think I'm a little intense... they think I'm either crazy or completely incapable of dating someone my own age. You know, socially inept and all. But God's wisdom is foolishness in the eyes of this world and they can't figure us out. And I love it.

Dawn said...

Aww...what warm fuzzies that story gives me. Praise God for His gracious gift of patience -- even though we don't hang on to it long enough.

I PROMISE PROMISE as hard as the struggle is to be patient now, it MORE than pays off when it is finally said and done. But I also PROMISE PROMISE that the quest for patience in relation to marriage won't stop at the altar. Then you get to learn how to be patient with the one you wanted so badly...and patient with yourself as the REAL you is revealed in light of your spouse.

Hmm...interesting. First your learn patience with everyone else and God when it comes to making it to the altar...then you learn patience with the ONE you wanted to be at the altar with in the first place.

Someday, dear ones, we will be free of that which entangles us!

Anonymous said...

Hey miss beautiful! Yes indeedy we should get together :) Oh the stories God's making me live right now for pateince sake. AHHHH. Thanks for the Piper smack :)
Anyway, I have appointments all day today, so I'm on the cell phone, if not the rest of my week looks tolerable so far. Love you muchly and we'll talk soon!

Anonymous said...

Jaclyn,

This post gives me warm fuzzies. Mr. Mentzel, however, is clearly a moron and is making shipwreck of a young girl's life. He'll be divorced within 5 years. You though, Jaclyn, are doing well to stick to posts like this rather than sticking yourself out into the feminism battle... Frustrating as it is, I suppose ladies proper like yourself have no real place out here in the warzone and are doing just as well to stay in the kitchen. Just remember though, your daughters will thank us.

Jane