God's patience...

defies anything we can commonly understand.

How wondrous is God's patience with the world today. On every side people are sinning with a high hand. The divine law is trampled under foot and God himself openly despised. It is truly amazing that he does not instantly strike dead those who so brazenly defy him. Why does he not suddenly cut off the haughty infidel and blatant blasphemer as he did Ananias and Sapphira? Why does he not cause the earth to open its mouth and devour the persecutors of his people, so that, like Dathan and Abiram, they shall go down alive into the Pit? And what of apostate Christendom, where every possible form of sin is now tolerated and practiced under cover of the holy name of Christ? Why does not the righteous wrath of heaven make an end of such abominations? Only one answer is possible: because God bears with "much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction." From A.W. Pink, The Attributes of God, p.64

On Saturday afternoon I went to the local Blockbusters to rent a movie. Typically this Blockbusters store is packed by late afternoon, but I was there only right after lunch. Unusual for the store was the one employee trying to do it all. I don't know if someone called in sick or left him in the lurch, but for whatever the reason, he was by himself trying to make the customers happy.

This is exactly when I launch into people observation mode because even these tiny areas of stress or tension reveal the underlying character of the person. When I walked into the store, there were only a few other customers there--a mom and dad with two children, a dad with two teens, and another woman. At the checkout, the first dad was in line, then me, then the other woman. The dad and two teens were still in the midst of rental decisions.

The employee was on the phone obviously dealing with another customer who was putting him through the paces of his account. Which movies do you have listed out on my account? How much in overdue fees do I owe? And the like. This young man kept a respectful and even tone with the phone customer, answering the questions, checking the computer and generally handling that person's needs.

The dad in front of me seemed to be waiting patiently, but gradually his whole tenor changed, probably due in some part to the squirming child he was holding. After about a minute of this, he very loudly said to the employee, "Can I ask you a question?" The employee nodded but was still obviously tied up with the phone person. Another minute passed and the dad couldn't take it. He stalked off muttering about having no help to find the movie he wanted.

I was now first in line. I and the woman behind me continued to wait. The employee finished the first conversation and proceeded to take the call that was on hold. At this point, the lady behind me tossed her movie onto the counter, snatched her wallet, and stomped out of the store.

Another 30 seconds maybe, passed and finally the employee was able to get off the phone. Immediately he said, "I'm very sorry for your wait." He handled the transaction and I was out of there, but not before another woman came in, walked up and asked for the bathroom at the back of the store to be unlocked for her.

I walked out to my car in bewilderment at the impatience of our world. Did the two unhappy customers consider how they would have felt had they been on the phone? Wouldn't they have wanted the employee to answer their questions as courteously as the person in the store? Was there an urgency associated with checking out a movie that had to be accomplished in less than 10 minutes. I was in and out of there in under 12 minutes. I seriously don't think that the woman behind me needed the movie to watch home in her car. And even if she was in a rush, thinking that she could dash in and dash out, was a wait of 5 minutes unreasonable?

To twist the knife in my own direction is to recognize my own besetting sins of impatience towards my sons and husband. I have certainly done my share of petulant stomping when the honey do list wasn't done, and the toe tapping dance when a child takes the long way down the stairs. Ashamedly I can show greater patience to those I don't know at all over those I know and love the best.

All the more reason for a sobering self-evaluation that day of my own patience and lack of, my gratefulness for the merciful patience of God towards me, and a renewal of diligence to be obediently patient before the Lord and those He places in my life.