Wait? Are you crazy? NOW NOW NOW!

 

You remember that moment in school right before the bell rings, the final bell?  The teacher is trying to keep your attention and yet all you can see is the second hand on that clock before the …..brrrrrrrrrrrrring! 

There are moments in life that mimic this feeling over and over.  Take for example the line of folks lined up waiting to exit the Denver airport, or any large airport.  Anticipation of that big arm coming up and being allowed OUT is almost exciting because it means freedom.  Maybe it’s the family coming home from vacation so tired and just wanting to get home.  Or perhaps it’s that person who has been on delayed flight after delayed flight and just wants to get to the comfort of home.

We wait around for many things in life.  Some of the things we wait for we anticipate and expect will bring us great joy and happiness.  Others we know will cause us pain so we want to just get through it.  But waiting, while annoying at times, is actually good for us.

The Bible addresses patience dozens of times.  In the Old Testament book of Samuel, Saul was growing impatient waiting to give an offering.  Rather than listening to God’s instruction to wait for a priest to give the offering he decided to do it now.  Waiting is hard but it is a test of our character.  We are not comfortable with waiting and it often grows a heart full of anxiety.   It is no wonder we are like this just look around at everything this world offers us in the RIGHT now moment.

I love the latest single from award winning country music artist Miranda Lambert.  It’s called “Automatic” and basically describes the way it used to be.  We were a calmer bunch of humans when we had to exercise more patience for things.  I love the line “if you had something to say you’d write it on a piece of paper, and you’d put a stamp on it and they’d get it three days later,” Yeah, I remember that.  It is called progress when gadgets are developed to help us do things faster but I think it has come with a price.  We are totally consumed with angst when things are not automatic.  I hope you’ll do at least one thing that really requires your patience and time each week.  If you’ve read this far in my blog you already have a better attention span than most Americans.  Thank you for checking in with me and if you want to leave a comment, please do so.

~Anne