Let's Be Reasonable

The lovely Carol has sometimes volunteered to help tutor ESL at a local high school. She told me about a particularly frustrating day when some of the kids were too busy (painting their nails and playing with their hair) to pay attention to the lesson. This is the kind of thing I don't think I could stand. They would be painting their nails in the Principal's office if I had anything to say about it.

Fortunately, God is more patient than that.

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it...."

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!

Isaiah 30.15,18

Well, the part I elided does describe some of the consequences of their stubbornness - they will be terrified by enemies, etc., but the good news is that the Lord is watching, waiting, wanting to be gracious and to show his compassion for them.

As he is with me, even when I've been pursuing worthless things: trinkets of trivial accomplishments rather than the treasures of meaningful engagement in intimate relationships. He is always waiting to respond to my repentance, to offer, as the letter to the Hebrews says, "grace to help in time of need."

Sounds like good news to me!

written 8/19; posted 8/22