Hurry Up and Wait

We are learning to wait.

Sometimes we just don't want to wait. We want to hurry life along because we feel like we will "miss" the moment if we don't do something quickly. I have done this with many circumstances in my life. And I have missed the opportunity that God had waiting for me.

I remember taking a job right out of college that the Lord obviously did not want me to have....I was let go six months later for completely unbelievable reasons. We just don't want to stop what we are doing and listen to the direction of the Lord. We want things our way and we do everything we can to make it happen for ourselves. And believe it or not, I am still learning to stop and let God take control.

"But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." (Isaiah 30:41)

Recently, we tried to turn in our leased mini-van. Even though we still had six months left on the lease we thought no problem. It'll be easy just to turn this over and lease a new one (this time a 2007 Pilot...because no more mini-vans for me!). We were already over our mileage allowance and were eager to dispose of the nuisance. I was totally prepared. I sat on the Internet for weeks reading up on just how I could crunch the numbers to perfection. No way I was going to get taken this time! Well, have you ever tried to convince a car sales person of your perfect plan? Completely impossible! The Lord adamantly blocked every proposition that I thought would work so perfectly. Thank goodness he does protect us from our misled ideas every now and then. But sometimes, He will let us fall. We must learn to seek him in every circumstance and situation.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7)

Parker is practicing this human malfunction as well. The other day he hurriedly rushed upstairs to tell me something with tears in his eyes. "What is it...are you hurt?" I asked. He then told me matter-of-fact that he had to hurry up and eat his santa chocolate bar before I came downstairs to discover him. Wow...so it begins! And then I realized that I'm trying to teach the same thing to my kids that the Lord is trying to teach me! With sincere humbleness I am opening my heart to his teaching.


We have all heard the expression "let go and let God". It's so easy to say and is the first thing usually expressed to any friend or person with a problem. We even tell it to ourselves....but we don't really plan on doing it. It makes us feel better for a while as our knuckles get white and fingers clinch tighter around what we desperately don't want to let go. However, we must if we want to experience the full blessings that the Lord wants to give us so abundantly. And we will be tested in this regard. "I, the Lord, search the minds and test the hearts of people. I treat each of them according to the way they live, according to what they do." (Jeremiah 17:10)

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6)