Those of us who live in the Midwest are still waiting for Spring to arrive in full force - bringing with it some long awaited warmer temperatures. Last week my wife and I spent seven days in Arizona looking for a winter home - seeking to avoid the cold Midwest winter next year. We were blessed with very nice temperatures all week long - ranging from the 90's to over 100 - wishing that we could have brought some of that warmth back home with us. Today - our second day back - cool and wet - not exactly the weather either of us prefer. It is what it is - and as the saying goes around Chicago Land - wait a few minutes - it will change. While driving all around the Phoenix area - with the sun constantly shinning and beating down on us - one question that came to mind was - how hot can we tolerate - keeping in mind that famous Arizona expression - but - it is a DRY heat. We will give them that - at 100 degrees we did not perspire - we did not wilt - but it was still hot. As we age we learn more and more every day how our tolerances have changed from our younger days - when we tolerated all sorts of things - not just the weather - but attitudes - people - politics. Tolerance is a virtue too often ignored by many these days - we try to the best of our ability - to be tolerant - especially to other people.
Jesus was probably one of the most tolerant people of all times - yet - He too had His limits. The money changers in the temples - a common sight in His times - finally rubbed Him the wrong way - causing Him to overturn their tables - driving them out of the temple with cords formed into a whip. Even God has limits - our One True Loving God - can become irritated with any of us. When we fail to listen to His words - fail to do as He asks - fail to turn the other cheek - time and again - knowing all the good examples left for us by His Son - even God becomes angry. Unlike we - who chose to ignore - who chose to go astray - who chose to turn our backs on Him - on each other - He is always there - waiting. Waiting for us - to turn back - to come around - to seek - to ask. God - Jesus - tolerates us - until we are ready to let Him into our lives.
Deacon Dale
Jesus was probably one of the most tolerant people of all times - yet - He too had His limits. The money changers in the temples - a common sight in His times - finally rubbed Him the wrong way - causing Him to overturn their tables - driving them out of the temple with cords formed into a whip. Even God has limits - our One True Loving God - can become irritated with any of us. When we fail to listen to His words - fail to do as He asks - fail to turn the other cheek - time and again - knowing all the good examples left for us by His Son - even God becomes angry. Unlike we - who chose to ignore - who chose to go astray - who chose to turn our backs on Him - on each other - He is always there - waiting. Waiting for us - to turn back - to come around - to seek - to ask. God - Jesus - tolerates us - until we are ready to let Him into our lives.
Deacon Dale
