The Patient Swat Team

Today a swat team served a warrant down the street from my house. Ordinary police activity turned into a standoff, a scene straight from the news. At first I waited with bated breath, anticipating a dramatic scene, and was sucked into the excitement of it all. But soon I had waited long enough and wondered what was taking so long. I wanted the swat team to storm the house and end the standoff. I grew inpatient as I watched the officers wait patiently, employing other methods besides storming a house and risking violence. I stopped watching, I grew tired of waiting, and went about my life. Then I realized we often do this to God: we grow weary waiting, we desire Him to handle the "bad guy" now, and forget about the big picture. God, like the police officer, is patient because He doesn't want anyone left. God allows all of us time to repent and to return to Him because every life is valuable to Him, and not just those obeying the Law. We get so caught up in what needs to be done that we forget about the lives affected, we forget the bigger picture of love and forgiveness.