“Short cuts make long delays.”
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
John 13:7
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I really hate waiting. There are times that it doesn’t bother me, especially if I have a good book (200 if I have my Kindle) or a knitting project. Other times, I get impatient and grumble. I more often get impatient when the “waiting room” is uncomfortable and distractions are either not available or just don’t do the trick. Then I question why and seek to find a way to make it happen, whatever “it” may be. Spoiler Alert: It never ends well.
We often wonder what God is doing and why He isn’t moving the way we think He should. What we often forget is that God can see a lot farther down the road than we can. It’s like being in traffic with a large vehicle blocking your view when traffic suddenly stops.
This happened to me a few weeks ago on an interstate. When traffic slowed to a crawl, people immediately began to use the emergency only median crossovers to turn back and go the other way. There was a large RV in front of me, so I couldn’t see what was causing the issue, but traffic was still moving, so I stayed in my lane. Within minutes I was past the wreck in the other lane and was able to pick up speed again. If the others had been a little patient, they too would have been on their way. Who knows how much they added to their commute time by turning around?
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Matthew 7:11
We don’t know what God is doing, but we can know that He is doing it for our good (Jeremiah 29:11). For example, last year I started praying about a newer vehicle. My car at the time was 15 years old and over 300,000 miles. It had developed issues that made driving a stressful event. The problems with the car worsened, and I prayed harder and started looking for a replacement, but it seemed impossible.
After months of waiting, I saw a car on the dealer website that might just work for my budget, but I later found out the car had issues and was being auctioned off. I was discouraged and tried to reconcile myself to keeping the current car moving and wait for God to make a way. A week later I got a text about a car like I had been thinking about. It was used but kept in good condition. When I went to take a look, it had all kinds of bonus features that I had not even considered that have made driving a pleasure again. It was more than I had hoped for.
Not only that, but I had also intended to just trade in my old car for whatever they would give me and be done with it. My boss said the amount was too low and that he would give me what they were offering for my down payment and then try to sell it himself. The car sat in the parking lot at work for a month, but on my birthday someone bought the car for double what the dealer offered. By waiting, I got more than what I had considered.
God wants more for us than we can even imagine, but we often settle for whatever comes along instead of waiting for His best. There are a couple more things I am waiting on, but it’s moments like the ones with my car that remind me it’s best to wait on God’s timing. Even when waiting is uncomfortable and annoying, remember that whatever God is preparing is worth the wait.
We can’t always know what God has planned for us, but if we learn to be patient and wait on His perfect timing, it is always better than what we had asked for or imagined. Wonderful post Ms. Linda. Thank you for this encouraging example ma’am.