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Last week I had some time scheduled with my good friend Mathias, whom I met while on a mission trip to Kalimpong, India. Mathias is a pastor and also has a worldwide ministry with scattered Nepali people. I mentioned him a few months ago writing about “Things take as long as they take.” Mathias was visiting our city, and the plan was that I would pick him up at 10:30 and deliver him to his next meeting around 12:15. When we arrived for that meeting, the people said that they had him scheduled for the next day! So he went to my lunch appointment with me, and we had a great time.
Colorado Springs, CO. Pikes Peak is in the distance. (Photo by a kind stranger)
Through it all, just as when we were in Kalimpong, Mathias never got upset. If I had been visiting from out of country, I would expect my host to manage my schedule more accurately than that. Mathias, because of his long relationship with God, resulting in childlike trust, has the attitude that “God directs my day.”
I’ve been meditating on the fruit of the Spirit as listed in Galatians 5.22, 23:
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (ESV)
Thinking about Mathias and our scrambled scheduled last week, I might have to exercise the fruit of self-control in a situation like that and come across calm and understanding. I think that Mathias experienced the fruit of joy, patience, kindness, and gentleness instead. He didn’t need self-control to appear calm. He was calm!
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (Colossians 3.12 – 15, ESV)
Awesome post! That will be me in eternity! 🙄🤪 Baby steps. I AM slowly learning.
Me too.
Thank you my good friend Bob. I am blessed to read your reflection on me. I am humbled and give all glory to God. Though we plan but actually I know our schedule and steps are guided by God. Otherwise we would not have best time together. Thank God because my meeting with them was next day. God is good all the time.
I like that: “Our schedule and steps are guided by God. Otherwise we would not have best time together.” It was a fun visit.