Streams of Comfort

The following is a short dialogue between two friends in a craft store. They discuss patience metaphorically using a ball of yarn. Within this dialogue I do not give any specific details on who they are or why they are there. I want you the reader to create these details as you process through the deeper meaning of the dialogue. Feel free to use your imagination to fill in the details that are missing. Who are they? Why are they there? Why do they need yarn? Are a few examples of details for you to fill in. I encourage you to treat the details you create as puzzle pieces that fit into a picture about God’s mercy, patience, and grace. And I hope that you remember to rely on God for patience.

“If patience were a string,
Mine would be terribly short, worn out,
And completely falling apart,” I state,
As I pick up a ball of yarn from the shelf in front of me,
My friend stands next to me as we search for a good ball of yarn in the craft store.
“You just need to extend your string,” he states,
As he picks up a ball of blue yarn and begins to unravel it.
“Easier said than done,”
I replace the yarn I picked up on the shelf after I finish inspecting it.
“Not really, listen,
Do you know how to extend a string?” he asks as he holds out a stretched section of blue yarn.
“You unravel it, I guess,” I shrug,
“Yes, you go to the source and unravel more of the yarn.”
I watch as the strand in his hand slowly increases in length with what he pulls from the skein.
“So you’re saying the solution is to grab more string?”
“Yes, but make sure to keep it connected to the skein this time.
That way whenever your string becomes worn out and frayed,
You can extend it as needed.”
“But won’t the source, the skein, run out eventually too?” I question,
As I look through the remaining options on the shelf.
A smile of pure contentment appears on my friend’s face.
“God’s heart is like a ball of yarn that will never run out.”
“So you’re telling me that the skein of patience is God then?”
“Yes, and it extends from him as you are tested.
The more trials and difficulties you face,
The more you rely on God to lengthen your patience,
And eventually your patience will stretch out further than even the eye can see.”
I pick up a white ball of yarn that catches my eye from the shelf.
“I guess I shouldn’t cut off the strand from the skein then”, I say contemplatively.
“You were never meant to develop patience with your own power,
You must stay connected to the source.”
He makes his decision and places the blue yarn into the basket,
I nod and place the white yarn into the basket along with his.
As we head to the next isle to pick out another item on our list,
I think some more on how God is the solution to extending patience in my own life.