A Patient Father

So yesterday morning, I had a 3k fun run, or rather walk (as that’s what I did).  I’m sad to say it’s the first time I’ve actually walked more than the few feet to my mailbox since the pandemic began.  Am I ashamed?  Sure.  Will I walk next week?  We’ll see.  

Anyway, while I was sitting in my car at the park checking my heart rate after I finished, I looked out my window and watched this father (or father figure) who I’ve never met, proceed to teach a teenage girl (who looked like she was likely a daughter or niece) how to parallel park.  It was the most fascinating thing I’ve seen in a long time.  While she practiced getting into the parallel parking spaces, he was completely engaged in coaching and teaching, with complete faith that she would accomplish that goal.  Never once did he falter in putting himself right in the middle of the action, whether it was standing behind the car to let her know how far to back up or standing in the corner of the space in front to show her how to avoid cars already parked.  And never once did she not trust that he knew better than she did and not follow his instructions.  As I watched it unfold, I was mesmerized and caught up in the action as well.  When she finally got the car parked exactly center of the space, he cheered her on and so did I.  

I realized that’s what God does with us.  When we have a lesson to learn, he patiently coaches and teaches us what we need to do.  If we do it right and we’ve really learned the lesson, we go on to the next one.  If we don’t or we forget, we repeat it…….over and over and over again.  Why?  Maybe because we think we know better than God.  Unlike the teenage girl, we don’t always trust that our heavenly father knows better than we do.  We sometimes trust ourselves more than God, which is crazy when you think about it.  God/Jesus/Holy Spirit were there when time didn’t exist – they created it and everything else.  They knew the end before the beginning.  So who in their right mind could ever think, they knew better than the Ones who created everything?  It just doesn’t make sense.  

Now I understand, it’s hard to trust someone you don’t know.  And if you haven’t been adopted into God’s family, by accepting Jesus as your personal savior, you don’t have a relationship with either of them.  I get it.  It’s up to you to change that, but I can personally say, that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are the best family members you can have.  They are ones you can constantly count on and they will always be there for you, no matter what.  You can trust them.  That doesn’t mean bad things won’t happen…..we were never promised life here on earth would be easy, but it sure is better with God on your side than not.  He is the best Father you could ask for.