October 24th: God is always patient

leave it one more year and give me time to dig round it and manure it.

Luke 13:1-9

Time is precious. There is never enough of time. We are always seeking more time to submit assignments both at work and school; In relationships we want more time to set things right. God is always patient and gives us time to repent, to bear fruit.
I remember an employee was going to be laid off because he was a “difficult” person to work with. Another Head of Department pleaded to have the employee transferred to her department so that she could ‘dig around and manure’, work with, train and mentor him, get to the root of his ‘difficult’ behaviour. It took time but my colleague reported that he was improving in his work ethic and productivity as well as being on good terms with co-workers. Like the gardener, my friend was willing to take time to nurture the young employee.
I thank God for teachers who have worked with students others had given up on and got improved performance; for those parents who journey with children on drugs and other afflictions, always trying, not giving up.