Speed Waiting

“I took a course in speed waiting. Now I can wait an hour in only ten minutes.” – Steven Wright My friend has a Lamborghini and it goes from 0-60 in something like warp time. My 2005 Toyota Camry? It’ll go from 0-60 in the same day. What’s the rush anyway? When it comes to timing, God’s in a whole different world. If Jesus lived today, I doubt He’d own a watch, much less wear one.  I went to the State Fair this week with my daughter, my grand daughter and a few kids. What they saw as a thrill ride, I saw as a non-thrilling wait. They thought, “Wow, look at how high that ride goes!” as I thought, “Wow, look at how long that line is.” I only felt slightly better when while in line I discovered that a few roller-coaster enthusiasts waited over 5 hours for the opening of a 120 second thrill ride.  Lets face it, sometimes it feels like we’re in a hurry, but God is not. I know people waiting for wounds to heal and answers to prayer. Some wait for a mate, or a lost one to come to Jesus, and some wait for this season of life to change. The Lord gave the Israelites the Promised Land “little by little” because it required them to wait upon Him the entire way through it. When we have to wait on God it teaches us to depend on him more. Maybe the Israelites would have turned their backs on God if they received all the land at once because they wouldn’t have felt the need for Him anymore—they’d have gotten what they wanted, and life would be good. So, maybe it’s not just a long line at Starbucks. Maybe it’s really an opportunity to pray. Maybe you enduring a time of waiting qualifies you to know empathy and compassion for someone else in the same boat. We need to change our mindset from “waiting on God” to Waiting with God.” Big difference. Outside my window right now I see a group of people waiting at a bus stop. They know the bus is coming, but have no control as to when it shows up. They aren’t in control…and neither are we. By the way, that’s not a problem…it’s a blessing. Waiting makes us more dependent on God who is perfect in timing, and faithful to get us from where we are to where we will be. God is more interested in His relationship with me than my own personal comfort. God’s delays aren’t always denials, but are always working dependence in us. Hope (my favorite word) is patiently waiting expectantly for the intangible to become reality. “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew (refresh) their strength.” Is. 40:31  Oh, by the way, at the State Fair, the smiles and the memories were more than worth the wait. There’s no place like HOPE, Stefan