The Kindness of Patience

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? Romans 2:4

 

I am fascinated by God’s patience, not just with me, but with the church and with sinful people (that excludes no one) in general. In His patience many years ago He waited for me to argue with Him about my own salvation. He allowed me to take time and count the cost of following Him. He did not disregard my questions but brought others into my life who could lead me and answer my questions.

God uses ordinary people to make extraordinary differences in the world. Often He does this one person at a time. Nothing spectacular, just patient endurance of sharing the faith with the result of changing the lives of a few who then change the lives of a few until the change is huge but not done dramatically. Then it continues through generations.

My sister’s memorial service was held on Saturday. She lost a seventeen month battle with pancreatic and liver cancer. Through the service, though, I was reminded that we have lost her but she has gained freedom from sickness and pain along with everlasting joy. Even more importantly (for us), she has left us with a legacy of faith.

So many people talked to her husband and daughters about the mark she had left on their lives, especially the lives of many kindergarteners who she taught over the years, many of whom she had also prayed for. I think of all the medical professionals that she saw throughout her illness, not many of them got away without hearing of the blessings she was seeing. Her favorite line when I was around was, “That’s my Jesus.” She said it a lot because her eyes were on Him and so she was seeing how He was working all the time.

Early in the illness God sent a messenger to her (see The Man Who Obeyed God), someone she worked with, another believer, to tell her that God loved her and was with her, that He was aware of her every move, her every feeling, every cancer cell, and that He had hemmed her in, and was at her side. She understood the need to thank Him for every good thing and praise His Name, no matter what, that He would use it all for good. Those promises were a great comfort to her as time passed.

I have to admit from the time she died on Tuesday until the Memorial service on Saturday, I had a hard time imagining any good that might come from this. I knew it was true, but I was having a hard time seeing it for myself. But now, after seeing that hundreds of people have heard about her faith and have heard of the difference she made in so many lives by the power of the Holy Spirit in her, I can see good.

Her major desire for her own service was that everyone there would hear the gospel preached. They did.  She left a clear message that she had been a sinner (hard to imagine of a woman who had helped and loved so many) but was forgiven and saved from an eternity in hell by our gracious Savior and God. She also left behind a certainty that she is in heaven, celebrating the work God did through her life and through her memorial service.

On Saturday, many told of the differences she made in the lives of a child, how she encouraged them to love learning, to grow in confidence, and how she modeled God’s love to them. I listened to those who knew she was trusting the Lord for healing and saw that her faith was strong, even as the cancer grew. She was a witness for the love of Christ. She was a living testimony of His grace as she remained concerned about those closest to her.

My sister’s memorial was as much a testimony of the love of God for one of His faithful people as it was for my sister and her legacy.  I do not know what fruit God has produced in her life or in her death. But, I am confident that there will be fruit. God uses everything.

God’s kindness and patience lead to repentance. I am grateful to know that she had responded and I continue to be grateful for the kindness and patience he showed to me. Now, I will try to be like Him… and wait patiently to see her again.