When was the last time your plans were disrupted because your flight left too early or arrived too early? No, that doesn’t seem to be a problem we have to deal with. But leaving late and arriving late, now that is all too common. We rush to get to the gate on time only to find we must sit for 2 or 3 hours because the fight is delayed. I’ve had delays of up to 5 to 7 hours. Plans change. Connecting flights are missed. Our carefully designed schedules must be reworked. Everything is totally out of our control, so we sit patiently and wait.
However, in life when plans are changed or delays arise, we react much differently. Adrenaline starts to flow, our blood pressure rises, we plot and plan tenaciously to regain control. We become consumed with the need to get everything back to our predetermined schedule. Really, we have no more control over our lives than we do over airline schedules. Actually, we only think we can fight the delays that come our way in real life.
How much better off we would be if we realized that usually there is nothing we can do to make things better, but any number of things we can do to make them worse. Has God changed the timing of something in your life? Are you battling unexpected delays? There’s usually a good reason for them: icy runway, problems with the engine, etc. Do you really want to force yourself into an unsafe situation? Be patient. Wait. Accept that you are not in control. Trust those who make the arrangements. Trust God. He’ll get you where He wants you to go – but it will be in His timing, not yours. (February 10, 2016 somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean coming home)
Ecclesiastes 7:8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.
Colossians 1:11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,
James 5:7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.
Would you say you are a patient person? Would your family and friends say you are patient? What about God, would He say you have enough patience? If not, confess your impatience and ask for the fruit of His spirit – patience (Galatians 5:22-23).