Part 2: Our Longsuffering Father
As you can tell from the title this is part 2 of 2, the first being "Fearfully. Wonderfully," which I would encourage you to read first for the context of the following post. You can find it here: http://bit.ly/188MIme
But then I got angry at the fact that the father would have to spend his whole life caring for his son. Why? Why did he draw that card? I know that sounds awful and it is*; but why does this man have to deal with this? Why will he "suffer" the rest of his life caring for his son? How was this fair? And then I noticed how the father interacted with his son. I noticed the gentleness of his hand as he wiped his face. I noticed his smile and the look in his eyes that said “This is my son with whom I am well please”. I noticed that the stares of the children around him had no effect on his loving gaze at his son. I saw in him grace. Grace upon grace.
I was wrecked.
I thought about God, and I thought about me. I thought about how unfair it is that God has to deal with the likes of me. That God has to put up with this saint-sinner who acts too often like the latter. Why? Why did he draw that card? I know it sounds awful and it is; but why does God have to deal with me? Why will he "suffer" the rest of my life caring for me? How is this fair? Then I thought about the Gospel. And grace. And I thought about longsuffering. I thought about Philippians 1:6, “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion”. He is faithful to finish what he has started. I thought about the long-suffering nature of God. And I remembered that God drew this card knowingly. That he doesn’t regret saving any of us, not even me, and not even you. He knew this whole sanctification and growth thing was going to be messy. He knew it was going to take a lot of work. He knew in eternity past the work it was going to take, the longsufferer he would have to be, and he went forward with the plan gladly. He knew his relationship with us would be filled with him cleaning our messes, and wiping our faces. In God we find not a cold arm-crossed crusty hag, but a long-suffering, love lavishing Father. One that is with us in the angst of our growth. A father who delights in his sons and his daughters despite how broken and ugly they are to the world. To him they are beautiful and that's all that matters.. God is long-suffering with us, he is in it for the long haul, and here’s the crazy part, he loves every second of it. Every victory and every stumble. Every triumph and every fall. God is long-suffering with us and for us in spite of any record of obedience and faithfulness on our part and all because of the obedience and faithfulness of Christ.
In a father of an autistic boy, God revealed to me his longsuffering love for us sinner-saints. He showed me the grace he has for each one of his children and the joy he has to continue with us in our staggering steps towards Heaven.