Patience: An Old English word for patience is “longsuffering” and sometimes it feels like it sounds.
The little sports car had potential but obviously had seen better days. The teenager, Oliver by name purchased it with his own money. The excitement of finally having it towed to his house was contagious. Neighbors as well as his dad volunteered to help with the restoration and he was quick to accept their offers because he didn’t even know how to begin restoring it. Even his knowledge of car engines was limited; he needed help.
Weekdays after school until the sun went down and most Saturdays one could find teens and men disassembling and rebuilding. There were electrical parts, carburetors, engine parts, exhaust systems and brakes being studied and installed. There was body work, new paint and even a windshield to replace. It truly took a village but as time went on the progress was becoming more obvious.
Oliver became more and more excited as the work was nearing completion. It was nearing, but not complete. In time Oliver became impatient. Everyday he would ask his dad, how much longer? His dad would remind him that anything worth doing was worth doing right.
One day Oliver decided he had waited long enough; he was home early and no one was around yet so he decided to take a little spin while no one was there. Who would know?
Oliver carefully backed out of the driveway and off he drove. He loved the feel of the car as it hugged the road even on tight curves. Suddenly something Oliver didn’t plan on happened. When the tires were put on he must have forgotten to tighten the lug nuts on one of them. It was his job. He had been assigned that task. His mind the last few days was more on getting out on the road than on the minor details.
As Oliver took the turn the front wheel came off and he lost control of the car which crossed the center lane, jumped the curb, took out two bikes in a driveway and ended up hitting a large tree. Oliver was not hurt, but all the hours of work, the money invested and the camaraderie gained by the project was destroyed in a moment, all because he couldn’t be patient a little longer.
“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”
Winnie-the Pooh
Even if you feel your patience is beginning to run out, stay the course. I will not pretend to know when the isolation and distancing will end, but I trust it will. The worst thing we can do now after all this time and effort is to go out and undo all that has been accomplished. Please, Stay home and stay safe a bit longer.
Let us pray:
Teach me, Lord, to wait on my knees
Till in your own time you answer my pleas.
Teach me not to rely on what others do
But to wait in prayer for the answer from you.
from Knowing Jesus website
Patience my friends,
The Rev. Ellen Meissgeier