I love me a good success story. A story of doing it right and beautiful things coming together.

I don’t necessarily have one of those. Instead, I have a story of God’s unfailing patience towards me as I I did it wrong, failed, tried again, messed it up, gave up, came back, and stepped into a future I could never dream of or deserve.

My sister, do you know God is patient with you? Not because of your performance or your goodness, but because it’s his nature.

The Lord once came down in a cloud and stood with Moses and he said in Exodus 34:6, “I am the Lord God. I am merciful and very patient with my people. I show great love and I can be trusted.” Patient is who God is. Continually requiring God’s patience is who we are.

This morning, I sat alone on the sunkissed patio of a rural farmhouse in Tuscany, and I began to think of how God brought me here. It wasn’t all the things I did right that led me to this place in life. It wasn’t a brilliant business plan or extreme talent. Rather the complete lack there of. Every step of the way, the only continual thing has been God’s undeniable, unwavering patience with me.

I look back on my own journey and I almost feel embarrassment. Those early years were shamefully humble. Those first steps were so incredibly flawed. I was wrong. I did it wrong. I lead wrong. I planned wrong. Yet God was patient with me and continued to give me opportunities. Opportunities to learn and grow. Opportunities to fail and then get better. Opportunities to come to the end of my self and meet Him for the impossible next steps leading to a place I could not see.

Do you see God’s patience in your own story. Through the wrong relationships, the wrong choices, the wrong paths, God patiently worked it all out for you personally. He didn’t will for that wrong in your life, but he made space for it all so you would come to a place and space of seeking him fully. Your story is not a story of success, it is a story of God’s patience. A story of him never giving up on you. A story of him allowing an imperfect journey to work out his perfections in you.

And that story is still unfolding.

Within your Bible is the most beautiful story of God’s patience with a man who was dreadfully wrong, then put on a path of eternal righteousness. That man is Paul, the author of the majority of our New Testament Bible. A man God used to teach through the past 20 generations of the saving grace of Jesus. But, never forget, Paul was first Saul. Saul, the persecutor of Christians. The man on the wrong mission to stop the message of Christ. But an encounter with God on the Road to Damascus changed Saul’s name to Paul and forever changed him. Changed not because of his behavior or performance, but changed because of God’s patient work within him.

That’s why Paul writes in 1 Timothy 1: 15-16, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they too can believe in him and receive eternal life.”

Paul didn’t have to live in the shame and regret of his journey because he saw God’s patience all through that journey. That’s what God is showing me now. I’m being humbled. Through it all, he has been so patient with me.

And through your journey, as wrong or as long as it may have been, God is so patient with you, my sweet sister.

Now, here’s what the Holy Spirit has whispered to me so gently today to share with you: Slow down, stop rushing and punishing yourself. Hear God say, “I am patient with you, Beloved.”

God has never been in a rush with me. He’s allowed my every wrong turn to lead me to the right place eventually. He’s patiently allowed life to touch and teach me. The delay has been my own, but the destination has always been divinely God’s.

You may have delayed things along the way because you’ve been on a few detours with the wrong pursuits, the wrong people, and the wrong priorities, but through it all, God has patiently aligned your destiny. Not because you’ve been deserving, because Honey, you really haven’t been deserving, but because you’re simply his daughter. You’re his beloved.

Paul says again in Romans 2:4, “Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” This is all your redemption story. God’s patience with you, redeeming you through it all. Restoring you and bringing you into a right place with him and his intended purposes for you. How absolutely, undeniable extraordinary.

Woah. That’s really YOUR story, isn’t it? Your redemption story of a flawed journey and a patient God.

And guess what – you know that person you’re frustrated with – that person you want so desperately to change – the people you’re growing impatient with … God is choosing to be patient with them! Today, he is showing you the fullness of his patience with you personally, so that you can now show others the One who has been patient with you.

As the unworthy recipient of God’s patience, you are now called to allow that patience to flow through you, knowing God is being patient with everyone to bring them to salvation and change. Their redemption story is now in the making. And you – well, don’t get in the way of the redemption story God is writing for them. Girl, get out of the way of God’s patience for them. Your rush and your push is not necessary here.

I know it’s frustrating watching someone you love to struggle, make poor choices and seemingly waste time. But God wastes NOTHING. He will faithfully use it all in their own redemption story. Stop trying to save them from their testimony and let God work this out! Maybe you’ve been getting in the way with your pushing and rushing. Hear God whisper to your soul – “Beloved, I am being patient with them. Get out of the way of my work.”

2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promises, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” The MSG translations says it like this, “God is giving everyone space and time to change.”

Isn’t that what he has done with you? Don’t you see his patience in your life through the years? Now trust that is what he continues to do for you personally and everyone you love. God is not willing, wishing or wanting a single one to be lost from him, so he is patiently giving them space and time to change.

Ahhhhhh. God is never rushing. He holds all time in his hands. He has seen the end from the beginning and he is patiently letting each of his beloved children find their way to him and his best plans.

May you recognize his patience in your redemption story, and may you trust his patience in the story of others without rushing or pushing. Ridiculous patience is what God has shown towards you, now he is asking to show it to others through you.

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