The Extra Mile

Weighing 530 pounds, Mac realized he had to lose weight.

He had tried to shed pounds some years before, but a visit to a gym resulted in two treadmills belching smoke under his considerable weight. He realized it wouldn’t be easy to lose the 300 pounds he wanted to lose and that doing so would take a lot of time. Setting small, attainable goals enabled Mac to chip away at his task a pound at a time. He now runs half marathons and competes in bicycle races, which a few years ago would have been impossible. One key to Mac’s weight-loss success was that he was patient. Without patience, Mac would have given up on losing weight long before seeing any progress at all. Some things —such as losing 300 pounds— simply take time. It is important to remember that God is patient.

He bears with His children as they sometimes stumble their way toward heaven. And God is also patient with the lost. Jesus taught a parable in which a vineyard owner intended to cut down a fruitless fig tree. But a worker spoke up and asked if he could “dig around it and fertilize it” and give it one more chance.

God goes the extra mile to ready us for eternity.

Instead of casting aside those who don’t look like they will bear fruit for His glory, God is gracious enough to work with sinners and keep drawing them to Himself. A gardener who noticed bugs had eaten almost an entire young tomato plant, leaving only a stalk, patiently and carefully nursed it back to health.

It became the most fruitful plant in the garden.

While we don’t want to abuse God’s patience, it is good to know that He is with His children for the long haul. He stays with us and works with us, tenderly and patiently growing us in preparation for eternity.