Patient, Gentle and Kind

During our recent creativity week, I had the opportunity to do something I normally never do - sewing! My favourite jeans had ripped, and since there was a kind person present who was willing to help, I thought I would bring my jeans along and give it a go. After some help getting started, I was on my way to sew together torn jeans for the first time in my life. As we were sewing, we talked about the Lord and had a really nice time. But very quickly I started to realise a couple of things:

1. There was no point trying to rush it! I had to be careful, pay attention to detail and (much to my frustration!) take my time.
2. Strength and force were not so much called for as careful and gentle attention.

This started to speak to me about the way God helps and restores us. So many times, I meet people who want God to do a rush-job on them. “Just stitch me back together quickly. I’ve been damaged for much too long”. Without saying it, this sometimes conveys the idea that there aren’t acceptable or loveable as they are, but once they are ‘fixed’, then they might just be all right. God’s truth and God’s ways are quite different, though.

The Bible says that God is love, and that true love is patient, gentle and kind. Therefore, it makes sense that the way He restores us is much like the sewing I was doing - patient, gentle and kind. God’s hand is the most powerful in the universe, but at the same time it’s also the most gentle hand of all. He won’t rush, force things, or do things half-heartedly. He will take His time with you, restoring you gently, kindly and patiently.

The truth is that He already loves you as you are, issues, needs, and all. You’re completely acceptable to Him. Jesus’ sacrifice was enough for God to welcome you back, just as you are. And it’s no use telling God what to do or how to do it. We can find so much peace when we agree with Him that His ways are better than ours. When we yield to the restoration process God has in mind for us, then the promises of salvation and strength in this verse from Isaiah can become a living reality for us all.

God wants us to quietly trust that He knows how to restore us, and we may need to accept that this involves more time that we would ideally like. The verse above says: ‘but you would have none of it’. If we’re honest, this can sometimes be true for all of us. We don’t want His ways and we keep telling God to restore us ‘our way’ - on our terms. Thank God that He patiently waits for us to come to the realisation that Father’s ways are best, and that, in yielding to Him, we can find true rest, and true and lasting restoration.

Prayer: Thank You, Father, that You truly are patient, gentle and kind, especially in the way that You sew me back together. I’m sorry, Lord, where I’ve not appreciated this. Please help me to really trust You and Your plan of restoration for my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.