...Under Construction...Thanks for Your Patience!

Proverbs 4:18 has always been a favorite for me: "The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day." The implication to the reality that there is increasing light on my journey in God until the full day is that there are still shadows on the path. Remembering this helps me realize that although the light is growing daily, there is yet more to understand about Him and His ways and thoughts. It also causes me to know that I unwittingly do or say things that reflect the shadows that are still there, and consequently I do and say things that irritate and/or offend others.

So this week I want to pause and say "thank you" to the many spiritual siblings (young and old) God has given me who have exercised and continue to exercise amazing patience with me, some more than others by virtue of having lived with me longer and/or having worked with me. I know there have been many times in my life when I thought I saw things very clearly only to realize later that I had been stumbling in half-light and injuring others in the process.

One of my sisters was reading me a story last week of how Ruth Bell Graham decided what she wanted written on her tombstone. One day she was painstakingly driving through a lot of road repair work, and along the way were signs to the effect that the road was "under construction". When she finally reached the end of the road work, there was a sign that said: "End of construction. Thanks for your patience!" That's what she asked to have on her tombstone, and her family did as she asked. What a great epitaph!

But while I am still living in this present age, I want to say to those of you who have borne patiently with me till now: "I am still under construction... thanks for your patience!!" Your patience with me is a reflection of the long-suffering heart of God, and I am very grateful!