While You Were Waiting....
"Look for yourself and you will find loneliness and despair. But look for Christ and you will find Him and everything else." - C.S. Lewis
I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. - Psalm 27: 13-14
I live in an area of North Texas that will be amazing when it's finished. I just know it! Until that time, a portion of every day is usually spent weaving through barricades, following flashing arrows and navigating new routes. Recently, I attempted to make my way from one side of town to the other. The road I traveled had not been under construction just a week ago. On this particular day, a construction worker stood, staring at the ground, as he held a large stop sign. As time passed, my frustration escalated. Multiple cars passed us by in the oncoming land of traffic as we sat motionless. As my mind wandered from "I'm going to be late to my appointment," to "I wouldn't be late if he went ahead and put down that stop sign," a strange thought came over me. I decided that maybe, just maybe, I could go on ahead. What could be so challenging on the road before me that I couldn't handle on my own?
I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. - Psalm 27: 13-14
I live in an area of North Texas that will be amazing when it's finished. I just know it! Until that time, a portion of every day is usually spent weaving through barricades, following flashing arrows and navigating new routes. Recently, I attempted to make my way from one side of town to the other. The road I traveled had not been under construction just a week ago. On this particular day, a construction worker stood, staring at the ground, as he held a large stop sign. As time passed, my frustration escalated. Multiple cars passed us by in the oncoming land of traffic as we sat motionless. As my mind wandered from "I'm going to be late to my appointment," to "I wouldn't be late if he went ahead and put down that stop sign," a strange thought came over me. I decided that maybe, just maybe, I could go on ahead. What could be so challenging on the road before me that I couldn't handle on my own?
In those moments, a pilot car moved in front of me with flashing lights and a large sign that read, "Follow me." With the lowering of the stop sign, we began moving forward at the speed of a turtle. Before me were obstacles as far as the naked eye could see. At times, we traversed on the wrong side of the road. At other times, we had to wind through tight spaces I would never have attempted to travel alone.
I don't know about you, but many times in my life I have tried to handle situations on my own. Impatient and in need of an immediate solution, I have forged on ahead. We both know this choice does not result in the best outcomes. Oh how differently our hearts and souls feel when we depend on our sovereign God to carry us through!
Perhaps one can find the greatest spiritual lessons woven into periods of waiting. I look back over those few minutes I stared at a stop sign and recognize my frustration/impatience served no purpose. As we wait on medical tests, a college acceptance letter or a job offer, our reactions in those tense moments matter. I know, with great certainty, that I will find myself motionless in a construction zone, again, very soon. In that forced pause, I pray my responses will look different. I pray my responses will honor Him. The next time we find ourselves waiting, let's pause. Look up. Give thanks. Whisper these words: "I trust you, Jesus. In this period of waiting, my heart finds comfort and peace in the beauty of your sovereignty. Thank you for always going before me. Your ways are higher than my own, and You always know when it is safe for me to proceed." Amen.
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