Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Today the cable guys were here doing more work than they had planned on or expected. I tried to keep them hydrated and as comfortable as possible and chatted just a bit with both of them. One of them made a comment to me that really made me think. He said, “You sure are accommodating, much more than what I am used to, it seems like people these days are grumpier than when I first began doing this”. I replied, “I guess it is our modern day society, people have been spoiled, they want it fast and if they have to wait at all it is considered an inconvenience”.
Wow, this really brought home how we expect everything to be fast and easy. Look at our marriage/divorce rates, our investment in convenience foods, faster phones, faster computers, facebook – you can announce anything immediately and saturate your friends circle moments after anything exciting happens (we instantly share our lives).
Today, I was not in a hurry, I did not care to wait in fact, I was grateful that they were invested in their jobs enough to do the work right since it was “lacking” from the previous cable guy. I anticipate that the end result will be proper working Internet, phones and cable TV. Therefore, I am willing to wait patiently.
Aren’t the best things in life worth waiting for? We wait 9 months for a precious baby, we wait (usually) to plan a wedding and the Honeymoon, we wait and prepare for a job, we wait for those things that matter. Why can we not wait patiently? Like in our prayer life, can you honestly say you wait patiently in you prayer life? I can not, I have learned where and when to take my life happenings, wants and needs to the Lord but, waiting on Him is a skill that I have still not a mastered.
Much like the cable guy experienced, I seem to be consistently impatient when it comes to waiting on God to lead me in whichever path is right. I tend to go before and sometimes I pick the right path but, I miss the blessing of peace because I have gone on before and am a nervous wreck because I have gone out on my own instead of waiting on the master technician to show me how to do the job right.
So, maybe next time you (I) - we find ourselves in a tizzy because we have not waited steadfast in our prayer lives and are riddled with doubt and wonder how did we get here? ….remember the cable guy, stop, pray and wait.
Just breathe and be patient. Nothing He has planned for us will pass us by if we are praying in His will, being obedient and waiting faithfully. In HIS time we will get the job done, right and without being riddled with doubt for His glory not ours. Doesn’t that sound so much better than the original scenario? I think so!
