"No, you did laugh."

I've been reading through the book of Genesis. I read chapters 15-18 yesterday and this is the product of what I've been thinking about since then:

The story:
Abram [Abraham] was promised to be the father of many nations and even though his wife was barren and he himself was 99 years old. However, he had faith in the Lord's promise and considered himself blessed even before the blessing was tangible. Sarai [Sarah] wasn't so convinced. In chapter 15 we see God's covenant with Abram- "Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”" In chapter 16 we see that Sarai is still living in doubt of the promise made to Abram- and she gives her servant to him as a wife to have children with so he might have an heir. When Hagar becomes pregnant she begins to treat Sarah in such a way that causes Sarah to drive her away. At the time that Hagar and Abram's child was born Abram was 86 years old.

It is in chapter 17 that we see Abram's name changed to Abraham and he is again promised countless decendants by God. We also see Sarai named Sarah and she is promised to give birth to a son, a heir for Abraham. But even Abraham questions God in doubt- how is she to have a child, she is too old, he says. But God is patiently stubborn and declares that Sarah will give birth to a son by the same time next year.

In chapter 18 Abraham is visited by the Lord again and he has a meal prepared for his guests. One of the men proclaimed again that Sarah would become pregnant and have a child at that time the following year- and Sarah overhearing the conversation from the tent laughed to herself. But God- the same God Hagar named as 'the God who sees me'- asked why did she laugh? does she believe there is something too hard for the Lord? Sarah caught and afraid denied that she laughed, but God knew her and said, "No, you did laugh."

A year after this visit and 14 years after Abraham and Hagar's son was born Sarah gave birth to a son- Abram was 100 years old. It took 14 years of faith to receive have the tangible portion of the blessing given by God.

So I wonder, has the drive for instant gratification ruined humanity's chances of receiving God's blessings? Has our lack of patience somehow infiltrated our faith- making it useless? Afterall, if we do not receive what we have been promised on our time line- we assume its never going to happen. In fact we laugh at God's promises, and then find ourselves suprised, and maybe even afraid when God asks, "why did you laugh?" Will we, like Sarah, deny the fact we laughed only to be told by God, "No, you did laugh."? Can we really haave faith in God- that his word is true- can we really trust him for his blessings? Do we have the ability to be patient enough to recieve the blessing or do we unashamedly laugh at God?