"I'm trying to save your scrawny neck here!!!"

It's a quote from the Beth Moore bible study, 'Breaking Free', which I am doing right now.  I don't know whether God gets frustrated exactly with His errant children, but there is some Scripture which indicates that He does.  At any rate, I can relate!

At this moment, I am wondering what my God, the Lover of my soul, would have me learn from my experiences of trying to help those who aren't interested in being helped.  I will say that it is very tempting to just abandon the effort all together at times.  God was tempted too, but He ended up not following through, well, at least most of the time (Sodom and Gomorrah He finally got fed up with).

God shows Himself to be gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.  He is so patient with me and with His children.  When we are wayward, running our own way so often, He keeps on calling us home.  So often, we are slow to listen and reticent to truly trust Him.  I often wonder at that.  How can I be so dense as to NOT trust Him when nothing I do on my own ever works anyway and His plans always work out so well.  What am I?  A do-do bird?

Here is what happens, I end up in a situation that's not working out and the Lord says to me, 'Child, I have a solution for you'.  My response is far too often, "I'll try that later God, after I've really fallen flat on my face and gotten things really messed up, okay?"  Of course, I don't actually say that, but that's pretty much what I do. And there is God saying, 'I'm trying to save your scrawny neck here!!!'

I think I understand how He must feel, at least a little.  My own children are very little interested in any wisdom I may have.  Though I will say that my oldest is beginning to appreciate her mother in a new way I think.  I can get become deeply frustrated when they don't won't to listen and I am watching them repeatedly falling into the same pit again and again.  It's painful to see when you are holding out the help right there for the taking.  Why are we humans so very stubborn?

I guess I simply fall back on the fact that the Lord is gracious and merciful and I just keep on my knees asking for His mercy in their lives.