He's still workin' on me by Larry Yarrington

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7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9 Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! James 5:7-9
I find that when dealing with people, I want to help, I can't develop a time table or make it a project. I have to. first, decide to love them. In order to truly love, I have to find value in them. Not value to me necessarily, but intrinsic value. There is a beauty to every person that can endear them to me. If they become a project to me they become burdensome and I begin to feel worn out by them. This process requires patience, more with some than others, because their beauty is hidden deep within. If people love and treasure me, it is easy. I can be with them all day long without effort. For others, it takes time to develop trust in the relationship, before they allow me to connect with them at a soul level.
The reward for patience is great, when, at last, they begin to display who they are, beneath all the defenses. I was one of those who was difficult to mentor. Some who tried were impatient. Others were patient, not because of a decision to be so, but, rather, they made a decision to simply be my friend. Patience is not what they tried to do. It was a result of loving me enough that they could see beyond my rough edges to something beautiful inside. The core of who I am is beautiful because God created it. God captured my heart because He chose to love me. He expressed that love personally in Christ Jesus. Jesus was God with skin on. I could more clearly see that I could be judged on my merits alone, or I could be judged on the merit of Christ in me. God, in His great patience and mercy, flowing out of His love, has taken 80 years to bring me this far. Is He done? All you have to do is to take a look at my behavior sometimes to see that He is still patiently and tenderly working on me. But he who began a good work in me will not quit until I am filled up in Jesus.
There is an old song sung by the Hemphills and occassionally sung by our pastor in the middle of a sermon that goes like this:
"He's still working on me
To make me what I need to be
It took him just a week to make the moon and stars
The sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars
How loving and patient He must be
'Cause He's still workin' on me".

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