I hate nothing more than running late. If I show up late to an event or an appointment or even to hang out with friends, it irks me. I get stressed. I drive aggressively. My blood pressure rises. I all but come unwound. And with life moving as fast as it does, we all have lots of opportunities to feel this way. Every day brings with it a rush of activities, all compacted into the 18 hours when we aren’t sleeping. Most of my day is an attempt not to run behind schedule.

What’s even more troubling is when I’m running late for something that I might miss altogether. Like a plane or bus. Previews at the movies (look, I want to get my 20 bucks worth). Or when I’m running late for something that might be uncomfortable. Like church or a wedding or a big meeting. (you know, anything where you risk the awkward walk of shame). I get that sick feeling in my stomach, overactive butterflies or when you go too high on a swing. It can really damage the nerves.

I guess that’s why I get so agitated about my spiritual walk. A long time ago, God told me that I wasn’t ready. And ever since then, I think I’ve probably been rushing around like I was late for a date or a job interview. I’ve assumed that I was behind schedule, that I was holding up God’s plan, that I was risking it all and might miss it altogether.

But then, I came across this verse: 

Psalm 27:14 – Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait I say, on the Lord!

God moves in His own time. He has His own schedule. And when He told me I wasn’t ready, it wasn’t to spur me into warp speed. He just wanted me to know that I needed to be patient. He wasn’t ready either. Think of that. God hasn’t been ready. Now, this is a chicken and egg scenario, like a lot of things. Is it because He knows I’m not ready that He’s not ready? I’ll try not to bend my mind out of shape and instead remind myself what many people have told me throughout the years. God does things in His own time. He answers prayers, works miracles, moves mountains, all in His time.

Meanwhile, I’ve been pushing myself, looking in the mirror, questioning the reflection, “What are you waiting for?” Turns out maybe I’m waiting for God’s timing and just need to focus on doing what I need to do to be ready when He gives me the signal.

My favorite part about this verse is the very end. There is an exclamation point. Wait I say, on the Lord! For me, this means two things. 1. Don’t go Mel Gibson on the situation (Lethal Weapon anyone?), charging ahead on your own because you can’t be patient. 2. You may have to be really patient. It’s not wait, it’s WAIT. It may be a while. It may feel like a very long time. It will be worth it.  

And so…I wait.