THE PATIENCE OF RYAN

I've always heard of the patience of Job. The lessons in that book are hard to digest because I knew the trials that Job went through to finally have his blessings restored. It is a great spiritual lesson, but I witnessed a better lesson from my grand nephew Ryan.
Ryan is a joy to behold, always smiling, always talking loquaciously with his eyes shining like light bulbs on a Christmas tree. He is also always moving, always playing, just like every five or six year old boy I've ever seen.
At the Thanksgiving family reunion we have every year I witnessed the epitome of patience in the actions of Ryan, one in whom I never expected to see that characteristic. I've always seen joy and love in him, but patience was a new characteristic that I observed this year.
We always take Silly Putty for the kids to play with, lots and lots of Silly Putty. This year I couldn't find the glitter Silly Putty, which the girls always request. I did, however, find the glowing Silly Putty after visiting several stores. The regular Putty gives a lot of pleasure but the glowing Putty is the favorite of the fifteen children who were there this year. Actually I even saw the seven teenagers playing with some of it.
The secret to the glowing Putty is that it must be exposed to the light from a light bulb in order to store up elements so that it will glow in the dark. Don't ask me how that works, I don't know. I just know that it does.
Ryan had remarked that his Putty wouldn't glow in the dark, and he showed me that fact by opening his jacket and putting the Putty in the darkness under his arm. That was a new take on checking it. Usually the kids went into a dark room. Sure enough, his Putty was glow-less under his shirt.
I told him that he needed to put it under the lamp so it would soak up the light. He immediately ran (like he always does) to the living room. I assumed that he would hold it up to the light bulb, like the other kids had done. About ten minutes later I observed Ryan sitting on the couch patiently waiting on the Putty to do its light storing. Only problem was, he had put it on the table under the lamp, not close to the light bulb.
We instructed him that the Putty needed to be closer to the light bulb. He immediately held it up close to the light bulb, but not close enough to get burned. We had cautioned him about that.
We went along doing our hostess and host duties, forgetting that Ryan was on an important mission.
About fifteen minutes later I happened to wander through the room where Ryan was patiently holding his Silly Putty up to the light bulb with his little arm. We had neglected to tell him that it only took a minute or so to accomplish the feat. His little arm must have been so tired, but nothing could separate him from his task. He was the picture of patience, and with a smile on his face all the time.
One lesson to be learned from Ryan and the Silly Putty is that it is not Ryan's nature to sit quietly, just like it's not our nature to wait for prayers to be answered. Ryan's quietness was one miracle. Another lesson is one that Job also learned. Getting closer to the brilliance of the True Light and not listening to men has great rewards. The other lesson is that Ryan's great patience paid off because the Silly Putty was finally glowing with vibrancy as he showed me its brilliance, again under his arm under his jacket, not in a dark room like the other kids would do.
When I think of patience I will always think of Ryan sitting patiently with his arm holding the Silly Putty up to the light bulb soaking up the light so that it would glow.
We must learn to be like Ryan, patiently waiting for our prayers to be answered, soaking up the Light of God with a smile on our faces with calm expectation.
The story of Job is enlightening, but Ryan exemplifies patience to me more explicitly.
Who would believe that Silly Putty would be a teaching tool of God's patience!
Thank you, Ryan, for the image of patience and its rewards. The dull Silly Putties of life that have lost their brilliant glow can always be restored with faith and patience, especially when we wait with a smile on our faces and expectation in our hearts like Ryan did. Then we will not hide the Light of the answered prayer under a bushel, or under a jacket, but it will be visible for all to see the goodness of God.