Remember the old story of The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen? It begins with a duckling who looks different—awkward, gray, clumsy—and is rejected by all around him. No one sees any hope for him. He’s considered ugly, unwanted, hopeless—a weed among ducklings. Yet, throughout this story, there is patience. The duckling patiently endures harsh winters, loneliness, and rejection. And in time, the creature that everyone wrote off as ugly and hopeless grows into a stunningly beautiful swan. What appeared as permanent imperfection, through patient waiting, revealed itself as extraordinary beauty.

In Matthew 13:24-30, Jesus shares the parable of a farmer whose field becomes contaminated with weeds among the good wheat. The workers instinctively want to rush in immediately and fix the problem by pulling out the weeds. But the farmer wisely says, “Wait. Let them grow together until harvest.”

This parable shows us something incredible about God: His divine patience. The weeds—representing evil, brokenness, sin—are hopeless in themselves. Weeds don’t become wheat; weeds remain weeds. They can’t transform into something good. Yet, even knowing this, God patiently lets them grow alongside the wheat until the right moment.

Think about our lives for a moment. How often, when we see problems, do we rush urgently to fix things? We see weeds—in our relationships, families, communities—and immediately we want to rip them out, fix the problem, and move on. It’s instinctive; we can’t tolerate the discomfort of imperfection. But here’s where God’s patience deeply challenges us.

God isn’t blind. He fully knows that weeds are weeds, that there’s evil, pain, imperfection. He isn’t denying reality. The farmer sees clearly, just like God sees clearly. He knows exactly what’s happening and how it happened. But instead of rushing in, God patiently waits. Why? Because rushing risks destroying something good and beautiful—something we cannot yet fully see.

Just like in the story of The Ugly Duckling, if we rush too quickly, we might miss the hidden beauty waiting patiently beneath the surface. We might uproot wheat, mistaking it for weeds. In our urgency to solve everything swiftly, we often cause more harm than good.

Today, let us learn from God’s patience. Trust that He sees more clearly than we ever could. Trust His timing. Accept that we live in a world where good and evil coexist for now, but not forever. God’s patience isn’t weakness; it’s wisdom and grace. At the right moment, God Himself will sort things out, ensuring that no good is lost.

May we learn to wait patiently, trusting the God who sees, knows, and holds our lives carefully until harvest time.