Upon at the last minute, my daughter finds she needs a new bathing suit for a church trip. It was totally one of those last minute determinations that I just could not say no to. She could not possible wear the one she had and the function she was attending was at a water park. So, she had me. I gathered the keys and out the door we went. After fruitless shopping and my weariness (actually I think it was more crankiness) to just give up, we tried one last store. And there she found it. Maybe it was a little mix matched but it was “workable swimwear.” AND the best part was that it was 60% off!!! Now that is my kind of shopping!!
We went to the line at the register and we were quite content with waiting, because she had something that would work and might I remind you IT WAS 60% OFF!!!! It was then that a manager called another clerk to come assist with checkout. At this point we know that we will be called “NEXT” soon. But it was then that the manager called another clerk up from the back to open another register at another location in the store and now she was looking at us to go on over to the other area to be checked out. My mind was racing, thinking “but I am ok in this line…I have gotten kind of used to this line and the people standing waiting with me.” But it was too late; we were called to go over because we were “NEXT.” Being called “Next” in a long waiting line is a big adrenaline rush then you realize “Hey that’s me!!!!”
It was on my walk over I was thinking, well this is a blessing because we are finally going to be on our way back home soon. That was a short blessing when we got to the location to only find someone else was out the counter being checked out. What happen?? We were “NEXT”…I was happy over there with my “in line friends” and being called “NEXT.” ”We were prepared for being “Next.” We certainly could not stomp our feet, huff and puff nor whine, groan and complain out loud. We had to wait in this new line with integrity. We were waiting again to be called “Next.”
And then it hit me, life can be a whole lot like standing in line just waiting to be called “Next.” It is how we handle ourselves during the waiting that makes all the difference. There are many kinds of waiting lines in life. There are waiting lines for the right mate to come into our lives, waiting for children, waiting on our careers to take off, lies we believe, difficult relationships, financial hardships. There are even lines for waiting for the opportunity to use our spiritual gifts, a strong physical body or a healing. Waiting is not whining or fretting or comparing those whose turn is before us. Waiting is an opportunity to grow.
Waiting calls on prayers. And prayer is the discipline by which God gives us the ability to wait. We have to trust God to wait on the many things in our lives. We must believe in His divine love and surrender to “our plans and time lines” and wait for His Will at His time. It is what we do with waiting in those lines. I try to visualize myself just falling into God’s arms and just staying there. Don’t get out of line too soon without prayer. Don’t abandon the waiting. Trust in God and continue to keep your eyes on the Lord. Waiting until it is your turn. And until then, be aware of His presence in the waiting. He’s your “in line friend.”
This brings back the story of Jesus and the disciples in the upper room and in the first 11 verses of John 15 he tells His disciples 10 times to “remain”, abide, wait. God makes a really good “in line friend” when waiting.
((hugs until next time))