I don’t know about you, but my Friday evenings are typically relaxing. However, that was NOT the case this past Friday. After snapping photos throughout the school year, I finally compiled them into a slide show for our community’s end of the year celebration. But there I was, minutes before leaving for the celebration, prompted to watch the show ONE more time JUST to make sure it worked well. To my shock, the music was not working!!! Panic set in as I called my husband to come take a look and do whatever he could to fix the problem and FAST! I paced back and forth nervously, crying and praying that the slide show would work. My husband assessed the situation and decided to play the slideshow from his laptop instead of mine.
But anxiety kicked in another notch for yours truly as we ended up leaving the house later than expected. I had planned to be at the celebration with enough time to set up, do a run through, and tweak whatever needed to be fixed. There was just one problem: I wasn’t the one driving. Beads of sweat began forming on my forehead as my eyes drilled holes into our speedometer. Why wasn’t my husband putting the pedal to the metal?? Didn’t he realize how important it was we get there as quickly as possible?? Why was he so calm while I was ready to lose my mind?? If only I had insisted on driving …
We all have plans, don’t we? Some of us respond like sane people when they don’t work out as expected. And some of us lose a marble or two because it’s our way or the highway. In Genesis 15, we read about God’s promise to Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son. But as time progressed and they became older, Sarah didn’t see how this promise could be fulfilled realistically. In Genesis 16, we see that she took matters into her own hands and insisted that Abraham procreate with their maidservant Hagar. Voila! Hagar was pregnant, but Sarah wasn’t loving her idea so much after the fact. Jealousy kicked in. Abraham had a son Ishmael, but he was not the son God had promised. After the promised son Issac was born, Sarah asked Hagar and Ishmael to be sent away in Genesis 21. To think, all of this unfolded because Sarah grew impatient and lost trust in God’s plans.
Yesterday, my Pastor, Joel Scrivner, reminded us that faith is unconditional. This means that we do not place conditions or limitations on what we’re believing God for. As His people, our faith walk involves taking God at His Word and trusting that He will bring it to fruition in His time. We must believe that as the Master Planner, He knows when and how is best. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
With just minutes before the celebration began, my husband set everything up and in our trial run, the slideshow played without a hitch. Once the program began, the slideshow played as I originally envisioned and everyone enjoyed it. What a relief! My beloved husband held out his hand … and told me to take a chill pill. (God knew that our marriage needed his humor to balance out my “excitability” :)) I may have forgotten to mention that my husband has PLENTY of expertise and experience with technology. As soon as he saw the problem, he found a solution and was confident that it would work, so much so that he didn’t feel the need to drive at the speed of lightning or be filled with anxiety. But I didn’t trust him. I thought I knew better. Wanting things to be done my way seemed sensible to me. In retrospect, anxiety and fear do not sound better than trust and confidence in someone who knows what they’re doing.
Are you growing tired of waiting on God for something you’ve been believing for? Maybe you’ve been asking God to meet the one to marry or to heal a loved one or to provide a better paying job or to help you pass an exam so you can move forward in your education. You feel as if God just isn’t putting the pedal to the metal. Before you take matters into your own hands by settling for Joe Schmoe, giving up faith, taking any ol’ job or cheating on the exam, will you trust God to be your Source, your Help, your Provider? Will you take Him at His Word and ask for strength to be patient in this seemingly lengthy process? Proverbs 3:5-6 states, “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the One who will keep you on track.” (MSG)
I understand it’s not easy Friend. I mean, look how I responded to a slideshow not working! But taking matters into our own hands to expedite the process will only make matters worse. My prayer is that we would have faith to BELIEVE what the Creator of it all says and to be CONFIDENT that He will do what He said.
~Joyce