The Refining Day 3: Be Patient with God

Sir 2:1-11

My son, when you come to serve the LORD,
stand in justice and fear,
prepare yourself for trials.
Be sincere of heart and steadfast,
incline your ear and receive the word of understanding,
undisturbed in time of adversity.
Wait on God, with patience, cling to him, forsake him not;
thus will you be wise in all your ways.
Accept whatever befalls you,
when sorrowful, be steadfast,
and in crushing misfortune be patient;
For in fire gold and silver are tested,
and worthy people in the crucible of humiliation.
Trust God and God will help you;
trust in him, and he will direct your way;
keep his fear and grow old therein.

You who fear the LORD, wait for his mercy,
turn not away lest you fall.
You who fear the LORD, trust him,
and your reward will not be lost.
You who fear the LORD, hope for good things,
for lasting joy and mercy.
You who fear the LORD, love him,
and your hearts will be enlightened.
Study the generations long past and understand;
has anyone hoped in the LORD and been disappointed?
Has anyone persevered in his commandments and been forsaken?  
has anyone called upon him and been rebuffed?
Compassionate and merciful is the LORD;
he forgives sins, he saves in time of trouble
and he is a protector to all who seek him in truth.

Yes. we talked about this passage last week. Yes, we are talking about it again.

When listening to this passage in Mass, I missed this line that the priest then emphasized in his homily: Wait on God, with patience, cling to him, forsake him not….

Have patience with God? Isn’t God supposed to have patience with me? As I
sat and reflected on this line, an image of God came to me. I imagined God bending down and looking at me with tenderness as I sit with clenched hands and tears in my eyes, impatiently waiting for him to answer the longings in my heart, and in gentleness and humility, addressing me, “Have patience with me, Daughter, have patience with me.”

It sounds cheesy, but it’s true: God does not work in our time. And he doesn’t always work in bolts of lightning and burning bushes. God is a gardener. He carefully plants seeds and gently tills the soil. He faithfully waters his garden and prunes with a careful eye.

Our God is a God of the process. The healing that we want, the desires we hold in our hearts…he doesn’t always fulfill them exactly when we want or even always quite in the way we want.

Be patient with God. As he is patient with us.