A Small Statement From A Holiday Gathering

Two thoughts are on my mind this morning. I am reading and thinking about them.

The first is 'impatience'.

The second is a small phrase that a host of a holiday gathering said that stuck with me. They had serval groups of people in their home. We were at a table and she looked at us as she passed by to greet yet another group as they came in with baked goods and coats that were coming off their bodies.

She said, as she turned to face us, 'I know I'm ignoring you.' and took a coat to find a place to hang it up.

All at once I felt we both knew the opposite was true. She wasn't ignoring any of us. We were known. She cared how we all felt. She wanted everyone to feel at home and get attention. We weren't second-class citizens. I think of this passage.

"Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed." - Proverbs 19:17 ESV

In a way, we know God isn't ignoring the poor and He won't ignore us. He considers generosity to others 'a loan' but at the same time, it looks like He has ignored the poor. He hasn't. He isn't. It looks that way but it isn't true.

Ok.

Back to the first idea of impatience. We are to be 'in the world' but not 'of the world' but impatience is an 'of the world' mindset. We want to control, orchestrate or just approve of the way (or speed) something is done but things can often spin out of control. Do we have peace? Peace is an 'out of this world' thing. Calm may be natural but not deep peace. Peace is something of God and 'sourced' in God. It passes understanding.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." - John 14:27 ESV

Wow.

What did Jesus have? Where did He leave his peace so we can find it?

I think it is in the knowledge of the attention and personal acceptance of our Father in Heaven. It looks like He isn't listening but He Is. We act in love trusted in His love and He sees it and treats it like a loan because He cares.

No one should condemn themselves for being impatient. No one should find a reason to condemn themselves ever but impatience is a symptom that we need to find the peace that Jesus left behind. One we find that peace we can be an oasis of peace and hospitality without striving.

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