God's patience and our obedience

"With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:8-9 My husband had an opportunity to do something yesterday that God laid on his heart to do almost 2 years ago. When God originally asked my husband to do this, he was willing to do it, but this particular request involved several other people. Trying to get these people together all in one place, my husband's work schedule, and lack of preparation time were just some of the reasons why it took almost 2 years for this to get done. There were times that he felt he was deliberately disobeying the Lord because of the time that had passed. There are times in our lives when circumstances prevent us from answering God's call immediately. There are also other times when we place our hands over our ears like a child and scream "I can't hear you.....I'm not listening....la,la,la,la...." because we don't want to do what He asks of us. Whatever the reasons, I have found in my own life that it is ME that misses out on the biggest blessings of my life for delaying a response to the Lord. I teach my children 1st time obedience (I ask just once and you obey immediately), but how often I fail in responding to my heavenly Father. If your phone was ringing and you knew the person calling you was going to be a long lost loved one you hadn't spoken to in years, or a daughter who had run away, or a child that was missing, or the bank saying they just put a million dollars in your account just for being a great customer, you would answer it immediately! How much greater than these are the rewards when we answer God's call, and yet, we let it ring. God is patient, and He will keep calling. But if we pick up the phone and immediately slam it down, He will eventually stop.