Time is God's patience

Lately I have heard several people remark that God does not seem to be in a hurry. They came to that conclusion as they reflect on the way people and many situations as well change very, very slowly, even with much prayer and human effort. I am also learning to appreciate that God's time never moves as fast as I would like it to. We may indeed sense a certain disharmony in life whenever we are not 'in time' with God. I know that I myself get caught up into the hurry of contemporary life (the 'instant' generation) and the idea that if only I try and work and pray hard enough.......people and situations will change fairly quickly. Being a strong 'J' on the MBTI does not give me much patience for open-endedness and waiting. When faced with a task, I tend to be goal focused and seek closure as soon as I am able to. But God has been showing me that he has purposeful rhythms in place that I cannot hurry.

Recently I had the opportunity to watch the rhythm of water lilies. The flowers start to open around 10 pm at night.......by morning they are in full bloom and then as the day gets hotter they prepare to close again......which they do at 1 pm. Then they 'rest' until it is time to open again. There is an almost 'sacred' rhythm to their days, one carefully planned by the Creator. Is there not also a rhythm of life that has been planned for human beings, the crown of God's creation? It would indeed be wonderful to discover for ourselves such a rhythm, one in which our life flows harmoniously with God's timing (and be able to appreciate God's timing in people and situations around us).

As I get older (and mid- life is a good time because one is forced to slow down - the physical body for one thing needs more time to renew) I am beginning to appreciate that slowing down helps me keep time with God and notice what he is doing....in myself, in other people and situations. Although God is not in a hurry it does not mean that little is happening. I heard recently at a retreat that "time is God's patience" and at once it made sense. Things may not be moving as we would like them to....but perhaps if we slow down long enough (and also ask Him) we may see glimpses of what He is up to. The Creator whose handiwork declares his glory is still at work, patiently and graciously, in his creation. I am not a botanist but by slowing down and paying attention, I discovered a rhythm in the life of water lilies. If I only watched them in the afternoon, I would have been disappointed and thought they were still in bud. Like wise in our lives and what goes on around us. If we live with greater attentiveness, rather than rushing about fixing and doing, we will see the small, though most significant workings of God in our lives and the lives of other people and in situations around us, and give praise to our loving Creator. There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.