Grumble, Grumble

How patient are you?  Is it a good thing?

Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. - James 5:7-10

I have been told that I have a great deal of patience, and I pride myself on it.

But patience for some can cause grumbling from others, especially when being patient with someone causes others to suffer.

There is a woman who comes to our soup kitchen every morning.  She claims to have no running water or electricity in her home, just a few blocks away.  We have tried to get her to go to several government agencies for help, but she is stubborn.  She claims she has gone and they have done nothing.

When she gets out of control, I can often manage to calm her down.  But am I doing the right thing?

The other day, she gave me a hard time when I told her she needed to wear pants.

She argued with me that it was too hot, but I insisted.  She has intestinal problems and it is a health hazard to be around food wearing only a long shirt.

Do I need to explain?

After she had her cereal, she left, and later, when she returned, she was wearing a nice blouse and skirt.  She had cleaned up.

The staff who had heard me chastise her earlier were amazed that she listened.  My patience had run out and it worked.

Keeping the peace and giving the benefit of the doubt are not always great strategies.  Sometimes, people want or need more.

Making the woman follow the rules helped everyone have a better day. 

There is a limit each of us reaches when we seek to help others.  When our attempts to respect them are at the expense of others, we are no longer being respectful.  We are making judgments for some and against others.

I don't want to refuse to serve anyone, but I can't let that hurt others who also need help.

I get what James is saying here.  We must have strong hearts, making strong decisions, without judgment, without prejudice.

All are children of God and all need to be respected, not just some at the expense of others.

So, does that mean I should limit my patience?

Perhaps.  Someone needs to enforce the rules.

More to come...