“Be Still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10
I find myself many times in the fast lane. Most of my irritations occur there. The microwave doesn’t heat my food fast enough, the drive through at McDonalds is too slow and traffic keeps me from getting where I need to go on time. A few years ago, my daughter, Rebekah and I took a trip to South Carolina to visit family. Usually we take the interstate as we assume we will get there faster. However, on this particular trip, my faithful GPS took us on a different route. After a few miles into the trip, I realized this was going to be a journey of two lane roads. As my daughter and I settled into what we thought would be a much longer drive, we found ourselves enjoying the journey. The scenery along the way was breathtaking as we passed by many open fields filled with cattle. Flowers were blooming alongside the road. As we passed one particular field, my daughter exclaimed, “lets just stop and go roll in the grass. We laughed and I realized we had been chatting a lot. We passed through small towns with a speed limit of 35 miles per hour. Driving that slow, we couldn’t help but notice the little antique shops, corner cafes, and a mother holding her child’s hand. Time passed by quickly, and we reached our destination. We were surprised when realizing the trip was actually shorter going this route. (And we didn’t burn as much gas) As we arrived back home, I found myself reflecting on my journey to South Carolina. I knew the Holy Spirit was wanting to teach me some valuable truth through this experience. I thought about the many times I had travelled by interstate in a hurry to get where I was going. My focus was not on the open fields and flowers along the highway. It was on the car in front of me as I looked for an opportunity to pass. (As were most of the other drivers moving to their destinations.) I thought about my daughter and I enjoying each other’s company as we chatted and laughed on those two lane roads. On the interstate, my husband reads the newspaper or naps while I drive and from the children we usually hear “are we there yet?” Jesus said, “Be still and know that I am God.” Have you ever tried having a conversation with someone glued to the TV, texting or constantly moving from one thing to another. It becomes a one-sided conversation with the other person pretending to be listening. We are like that so many times with God when He is longing to have fellowship with us. It is hard to get to know someone when the conversation is one-sided. God is saying to us take the two lane road and enjoy the journey. Let’s sit down and chat a while and maybe find a field and roll in the grass. He’s saying turn the TV off and no fast food today. He’s saying, just sit here a while, enjoy my Presence and tell me about your day. (“In thy Presence is fullness of joy” Psalm 16:11) It’s during those intimate times, I feel so loved, secure and accepted. I relax as God assures me that all is well and He is in control. He reminds me that He has a plan for me and my steps are ordered by Him and that He loves being involved in every detail of my life. Growing up, I heard phrases like “haste makes waste” and “stop and smell the roses”. Those are not biblical terms, but I think God coined them. Why? Because God is not about hurrying up. God likes planting gardens: plowing the ground, sowing the seeds, spreading the fertilizer, pulling weeds, killing the bugs, watering the plants, and patiently watching the flower appear and develop into fruit. Whew! God is all about preparation and process. God doesn’t mind waiting, and He encourages us to wait on Him. He knows this will renew our strength. Being in a hurry usually does the opposite. It can be draining. “But those who wait for the Lord (who expect) look for and hope in Him, shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up close to God as eagles mount up close to the sun; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired. Isaiah 40:31 I think about God creating the earth and all that is in it. He was not in a hurry. In fact, He took six days to complete it. He’s God and He could have snapped His fingers and POOF……it would have appeared. I believe God took His time and enjoyed all the details. Let’s do the same….stay out of the fast lane and enjoy the journey!
(Special thanks to my son, Stephen, for creating this website for me)