The Most Patient of All
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” Matthew 25:34-36
Last summer, I worked on swim staff, giving girls swim lessons all summer long. It was an awesome experience. Swimming is a skill that you have to learn. It’s not natural to do the butterfly or backstroke, so it has to be taught. As your body grows and strengthens, certain strokes become easier to learn. It was a wonderful experience teaching children as young as four years old all the way to seventeen year olds how to improve their strokes.
I loved watching the slow process of little girls learning how to feel comfortable in the water. It was not like riding a bike, where you just get it one day, it was a long development of refining strokes. Teaching someone how to swim can be frustrating because you just want them to get it. But it takes patience to let their muscles strengthen and let their minds feel more comfortable in the water.
God asks us to be patient with others. He asks us to live out a life of service. He wants us to serve others unselfishly and locally. I encourage you to get to know your neighbors. To see God in every human you pass. God doesn’t ask us to change people. He knows it’s a long, slow process to welcome others into our lives.
I found great satisfaction in teaching swim lessons. When a young camper could finally put her head under water or when an older camper beat her time on a 100 free, I was fulfilled. God asks us to be patient and live our lives serving others. When we welcome in God’s request of service, we are able to feel His love for us. He has given us a life.
He waits patiently as we learn how to live for Him. We don’t just pick it up one day like riding on a bike. It takes forever for us to understand how to live for Him, repent, believe, and have faith. God is the most patient. He waits for us. And when we are finally ready, he accepts us into His kingdom with open arms.