I am 5’4 ½” tall. I cling to that ½” in my family. My husband is 6’4” tall. He has very long legs, and I have a long torso. So, now that you have that visual in mind, figure this one out. Whenever we are walking, whether across a parking lot or for exercise, I am almost always ahead of him. I am constantly turning around and saying, “Are you coming?” I am a fast walker.
I have a friend whose husband works for Delta Airlines. When our children were preschoolers and we needed a break, she offered me a buddy pass so we could go to Boston for a 24 hour trip [only airline employees think of taking a vacation somewhere for 24 hours].
I was excited. I had not done much traveling and was looking forward to seeing a new city. We arrived on Friday evening and took the subway to our hotel. The next morning we woke early and started off. I was bound and determined if I only had a few hours in that city; I was going to see all of it I could. My friend is about 2 inches shorter than me and has none of her height in her legs. When we finished seeing everything I tried to pack into the day, we took off to the airport. She sat in her seat and said, “Don’t talk to me on the flight home. I am going to try and recover. My legs are killing me and you have to walk faster than anyone on earth.” Needless to say, I walk like my seat is on fire.
God, however, doesn’t always move at a fast pace. He knows what is ahead and He knows when we need to arrive to our destination. There are times He waits on me, but not because I am behind; it is because I am ahead of Him and He will not be rushed. Sometimes, in my eagerness to “move along” I create problems for myself I could avoid, if I would slow down and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” Psalm 37:34 says, “Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.” The Lord has purpose in His waiting. He wastes nothing, including time. If the Lord has not answered your prayers in the time you feel He should have, do not worry. Do not think He has forgotten you. He is simply waiting for the proper time. Do not allow your impatience to lead to problems or obstacles He did not intend for you to encounter. Listen and learn from the Psalmist in Psalm 46:10 when he says, “Be still and know I am God.” The New American Standard version says, “Stop striving and know that I am God.” Instead of striving, use your time wisely by looking for the lesson in the “wait” of God.