The Patience of Mary

Patience.

When was the last time you had a lack of patience?   

Was it as you were traveling down the highway and the car in front of you was driving only the speed limit or during dinner when your child spilled the milk all over the table?

Mary, the Mother of Jesus, had many opportunities to practice patience in her life.  When Gabriel came to visit her, surely she felt fear and uncertainty, but those passed, and her waiting to meet her unborn son began.   This would take patience in any normal circumstance, but imagine riding a donkey for many miles toward the end of her pregnancy.  Another time was when Jesus went missing for three days and she found him in the temple, or at the wedding at Cana.  She responded to him in a loving manner when He explained His hour had not yet come! I assume she was anxious for the Son Of God to show his miraculous ways.

She knew she was raising the Son of God, yet she probably didn’t really comprehend what that meant, especially in the beginning.  As a mother, what was her patience level when her son was being tortured and suffering an agonizing death right before her eyes.  Knowing he was dying for not only other people's sins, but hers as well.  I'm curious what her level of patience was, when she knew she would see him once again sitting at the right hand of our God. As children of God, through baptism, we can all rejoice in the fact that we will share in that with her in eternal life.  What a glorious thing to know!  

When was the last time you exhibited patience?   Was it in a classroom of students you were teaching, or perhaps in church when you heard a toddler singing sweet words during the sermon, or when your spouse was completing the "honey do" list in a slow manner?

God's Word says: "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." James 1:19-20

Our Father desires for us to be patient with one another, just as He has been with us. We all have, within us, every piece of the Fruit of the Spirit, including patience. We have opportunities every day to grow them.  To strengthen them, we can pickup a bible to read God's Word, worship at church, join a bible study, or pray alone or with others or simply  listen to Christian music as we drive down the road.

Perhaps the next time we begin to have a lack of patience, we can recall Mary's story.

Let's pray and then you may comment or share.

Gracious Father,

We come to you with a thankful heart for you have extended patience to us.  We know that your desire is that we extend the same to others. May we strengthen ourselves, by immersing more into Your Word with each new day.  When the fainthearted or weak, or even the strong begin to make us feel less than patient, may your hand reach down and comfort our anxious feelings.  Grace, Peace, and Mercy upon those reading this today.  Also we ask for safety, strength, and comfort to Heather and the group she is sharing Your Word with today.  

Amen.  

Julie