The one true American sport, one that defies age, sex, even disabilities,
is waiting in line. We spend so much of our time waiting in line, that we don’t
even realize it. You expect to at Disneyland, where over an hour in line can
get you the same ride that on a slow Tuesday means no line at all. When
watching the NFL on Sundays, Mondays, or Thursdays, we wait in between the plays
at least 40 seconds, sometimes more with TV time outs. Maybe the NFL should be
described as 5 seconds of action after 40 seconds of waiting. Same with
Disneyland, an hour of wait for 3 minutes of fun. And yet we wait, and wait, and
wait....
Here in Escondido none of the traffic lights seem to be synchronized, at
least the way I am going. And with busy streets, can take 2-3 minutes, or
longer for the light to change. So what do we do-wait. Same at In-and-Out, we
wait for a long time for fast food, which we eat in a few minutes. After
waiting in a long line. Grocery stores make us wait in line to check out and
pay-why is it there is always some obnoxious woman on her cell phone with over
20 items when I am behind her in the express lane? It seems that whenever
someone has what we want, we are willing to wait for it, no matter how long it
takes. And if you think about it-what is it that makes us wait for something,
that we have to pay for after waiting? Shouldn’t it be the other way
around?
And many times we get impatient while waiting, or contemplating waiting.
Driving around LA on a busy day makes you think the city is huge, and it is.
But on a light trafficked Sunday morning, where you can get around fast, you
realize how small it really is. Subtract the wait time in traffic, and it takes
on a different size. Thank goodness for being able to lane split. And today
many toll roads that still have toll booths have us waiting in line to pay.
Hurry up and wait has become a new mantra for America, something to think about
the next time you are waiting for the light to turn green, listening to Ms. more
than 20 items in the express lane, or to ride the Matterhorn at Disneyland. The
great common denominator-waiting in line.
While waiting is a universal theme, so is delaying. Putting things off,
which is different than waiting. We can’t wait until we are 21, yet wish we
could delay 60. We delay making a big decision, we can’t wait to get it over
with. So we need to recognize the difference between waiting and delaying.
Waiting is for something expected, delaying is putting off that something
expected. Too many people live an “in the last minute “ life. From homework to
breaking up, to cutting the yard, or washing the car, we delay things as long as
we can. Yet the task at hand waits for us. Life and death are like that also.
We know heaven waits, yet we want to delay the trip. We take great pains to
stay alive, we want to go, but we have little say in the matter. Which is maybe
why some don’t like death, we have no control over it. While some hang on and
wait to die, others delay it via miracle drugs. But we are all mortal, except
those that have obtained immortality in Christ. Some days I am eager to go to
heaven, other times I am having much too good a time to want to leave. Yet if
we saw heaven for what it is, we might all be committing suicide to get there.
We wait for the headache or illness to pass, praying “God take me now,” yet when
it passes, we want to stay and live another day. But to those who have heard
the gospel, and have not come to Jesus, each day for them is a gift form God
they don’t know about, for if they had died, it would be hell. So God is
patient that none should perish, he isn’t delaying, but waiting for all to come
to repentance. Maybe praying for that rude person at the light, or in line may
make a difference for them.
Yet God proves the importance of waiting, and of his timing with
childbirth. 36 weeks or 9 months, give or take a day and all should be well.
Too short, you get a premie with potential problems. Too long and you have to
induce labor. God knew this when he created us, and it is still true today.
Life is precious at the beginning, and also at the end. Maybe if we considered
how precious the in between the two is we may have a different attitude. How
many get excited about a new baby coming, yet won’t even talk about what lies
ahead after life? God is loving, and we should get close enough to want to go
home to heaven, and he doesn’t delay, if he came only one day before each of us
had been saved, think of he difference that would have made. Something to
consider the next time we get impatient, God knows, maybe there is another one
just like you who needs to be saved. Just look around for evidence.
Things to consider while standing in line. Or waiting at a light. Or
wishing the line at Disneyland was shorter. God knows and has it all under
control. At just the right time, while we were still sinners, he sent Jesus to
save us. Jesus never hurried, and was never late. Or too early, always on
time. Something to consider, his love for us. So try to be patient and loving.
He waited for you, and that was important. He is waiting for others too. He is
patient that none should go to hell. Of course, he never had to spend an
afternoon at the DMV....NEXT!
love with compassion,
MIke
matthew25biker.blogspot.com