Patient Endurance

Solitary driving is my happy place. I can think. I can pray. I can listen to whatever music I want without judgement (I’m talking about you, k-pop!). I take in the beauty that is God’s nature. It really is just my time to be alone to talk to God and to listen and look for him. It’s my proverbial closet. I’ve learned many lessons while on the road. 

One repeat lesson I glean is from traffic. If you’ve ever cruised along on a major highway, then you are some measure of acquainted with traffic. Rush hour or otherwise. It can be frustrating for some who travel the road with a timeframe. I’ve experienced the unpredictability of those jams, as well. You can have smooth sailing one day and the next could be gridlocked. The frustrating experience is a great illustration for me of life. Sometimes the road is smooth and other times, it’s a little bumpy. There are even instances of gridlock, where it seems it’s not moving at all.

When we are on the road, that unpredictability is frustrating when we’ve set a schedule for ourselves. We suddenly find ourselves battling frustration and all other kinds of emotions because we don’t understand what’s going on. That’s when that fear and worry about the unknown begins to kick in, like I posted about last week. Back when my commute was much longer than it is currently, I would have many days where I would experience any number of the scenarios I painted above. The one that I always found equal parts of frustrating and intriguing has been centered around the unknown.

A few weeks ago, as I was driving along down my local major highway, I noted how smooth the traffic was. I think I was commuting during a sweet spot. Well, that, and I think this was an opportunity for God to show me a little something. As I drove, I noted the smoothness of the road. My circle of people and I like to joke that the entirety of this particular highway is a construction zone. There are orange cones along the entire stretch of it. Generally, you’re dealing with daily traffic combined with a possible fender bender and construction work underway that may have resulted in a lane closure or two. It’s not always a straight shot being out there day to day. But again, this wasn’t my story on that day. As I coasted along thinking about the smooth ride, I began thinking about those moments when we are in bumper-to-bumper traffic and then all of a sudden, it’s like a door opens and the traffic begins to flow smoothly. That always perplexed me because it got me thinking, “What was the hold up?” 

As I thought about that, I saw a cloud of smoke begin to rise from a vehicle in the next lane. It was a bright and beautiful day so the grayish puff caught my attention. That wasn’t the only thing that caught my attention, as my gaze drifted lower to observe the vehicle the smoke was coming from. Just that quickly, there was a five car pile up. First, I thanked God for protecting me in that moment. Then, I was struck by seeing first hand the very thing I’d been thinking about. There were about to be a lot of commuters that were going to be furious. Yet, they had no idea what they’d been spared from.

About twenty or so minutes later, it was confirmed. I was on the other side, heading back home, and saw the fire trucks and ambulances working to clear things up. Several vehicles badly damaged, one of which was undoubtedly going to be totaled. Thankfully, it didn’t look as though anyone lost their life. As I journeyed that side all the way back to my home, traffic on the other side was completely gridlocked. Nothing was moving. Again, I was seeing my thoughts in action. Many of those folks had no idea about the accident that occurred miles ahead. Frankly, for a great deal of them, all the evidence of it would be gone by the time they got there.

This all became an illustration of life and the obstacles that we face on our commute. There are times we are going to have to get comfortable with not knowing or fully understanding what the hold up was. Just like with our ordinary commutes, that can be a frustrating experience, I know. There were days I would leave for work with plenty of cushion, allowing extra time for the contingencies. Even though I had back up plans, I’d still end up getting to work a minute or two to spare.

Timing. Let’s face it, in our spiritual walk, God’s timing doesn’t always match our own. Just like I mentioned with driving, we may set out with a destination in mind or have a desired goal and a possible timeframe outlined. We may even include a contingency or two. For many, we forget that we said we wanted to wait on God. We wanted to follow his lead. Yet, when we find ourselves having to wait, and no clear identifiable reason why, we get a little antsy. Sort of like Abraham and Sarah. We try to take care of it ourselves. Waiting is no cake walk. Not in a world of instant. You can find different studies where researchers tested the ability to wait and/or follow instructions for a variety of age groups. Especially children. It’s a difficult task, but not an impossible one. If we decided that we are going to follow God’s lead, then we have to follow his lead. Even if that means adjusting our pace to his. Waiting on God does not mean rushing the journey. What it does mean is that we trust in him and his process. Even when it takes a little longer than we would like. Decide if you want quick fix or completion. If you decide that you want to wait on the Lord, then take a step back and ask him to help you do so.

Stay Sunny!

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