One More Day

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
—2 Peter 3:9

This week at Boss, we prepared for our local Sunflower Festival. We participate in the parade every year, but this year, we were also able to join the festivities afterward. We set up the Boss Hammer Skills Competition and challenged people to “Beat the Boss!”

All the proceeds from the competition are going toward building a local "Veterans You Are Not Forgotten" village. It is an awesome cause, and we were grateful for the opportunity to support it.

Of course, one of the best parts of participating in a parade is handing out candy! As we were gathering everything together, one of Dan’s grandchildren came in and spotted some of that delicious candy. His mom told him that he would have to wait until the parade, and then he could have some.

He came over and told me what she had said. Then he reassured me—and perhaps himself—that the parade would be here soon and that he could wait. I think he was trying to convince himself that it really was not that far away! 😆

That little moment made me think about 2 Peter 3:9.

Sometimes, we may feel as though God is slow to fulfill His promises. We may wonder why He is not acting or responding in the way we think He should. We look at the injustice and suffering in the world and ask, “Why does He allow this to continue? When will He return and make everything right?”

For those who have accepted Jesus as their personal Savior, know they are on their way to heaven, and have confidence in what comes next, it may seem perfectly reasonable to feel impatient for His return.

But are we also thinking about what His return will mean for those who have not yet accepted Him?

Think for a moment about the last close call you experienced. Maybe a deer ran in front of your vehicle, and you missed it by a millisecond. Or perhaps, with one more millisecond, you would have missed it.

Now, imagine that the close call involved a person’s soul.

What if that person needed just one more day to truly understand the gospel? What if one more conversation, one more prayer, or one more moment was what finally led that person to Christ?

This is the mercy and patience of the Lord.

Jesus will return one day. We should remind ourselves of that promise and eagerly look forward to it. Like Dan’s grandson waiting for the parade, we can encourage ourselves by remembering that it may not be far off.

At the same time, we should remember why God is patient. Every additional day is another opportunity for someone to hear the truth, turn to Him, and receive salvation.

One more day could mean one more life for Christ.