"There is no overfeeding or straining of souls, and above all, no hurry to enlighten at all costs everyone He [Jesus] can reach. What a great supernatural art that is---that quiet, humble patience,,," (Light of Christ, Underhill; p. 50)
Advent is upon us and it is a great reminder to slow down and take notice of all that God is doing around us. Today's reading is a passage from Evelyn Underhill's book "Light of Christ", a book compiled of addresses from her favorite retreat house. In this excerpt we learn that Jesus often taught with great patience and did not have a need to rush others to understanding or maturity in their discipleship journey.
I find it a bit ironic how Advent points us to pause and reflect during a season that unfortunately has become busy and rushed. Nevertheless, the great lesson of Christ is patience with others even in the midst of a go go culture. Just today I found myself becoming impatient with even those of my household, I didn't even give them a chance for correction or room for explanation, for me it was immediate condemnation. Probably the worst part about it is that I left very little room to see the grace of God at work in my closest relationships. If I had slowed down, I would have noticed that my expectations for others gave no room for transformation. This was not the way of Christ, he came to dwell among us, teach us, offer salvation while enduring our faults and failures in the face of His love and grace.
"...we are all studying under the quiet eye of God; and we have got to learn the artist's pace,
never to hurry or scramble or lose our breath, yet never to wait too long; to put on a good
primary coat and let it dry in spirt of our eagerness to get on with the picture before the
inspiration fades; the only result of which is a sticky mess."
(The Light of Christ, Underhill p. 50)
Advent speaks and smells of the aroma of patience, a patient God with an impatient people and a rushed world that often ignores the still voice of God. Jesus was patient with those He taught/encountered, I need Him to redeem my impatience with grace and compassion, so that I might journey with others in the same way.
"Christ seems so often content to prepare souls by one great revealing truth and then just leave
grace to act, to fertilize, to bring forth, to give light with that easy generosity and not ask about
results." (The Light of Christ, Underhill p. 50)
I want to learn the artist's pace, Lord please teach me how to walk patiently with others as You did.
Spiritual Exercises:
1) Take a moment from your morning, a moment from mid-day and one from the evening and slow down enough to record the things you have seen Jesus do in your day. Then take some time at night to reflect on the whole day.
2) Do some study on the Fruit of the Spirit, specifically on the characteristic of Patience. Read Galatians 5 for a start and then peruse the Gospel of John and see how Jesus exemplified the attribute of patience.
3) List what tends to irritate you most and slow down in your day to pray each time you sense irritation in your day. Allow the love of Christ to wash over you and the grace of Jesus to hold you in your struggle.