Expecting a Delay

I hate delays....at least I did.  I have come to find that they do not bother me as much as I thought they did.  In my devotional time this morning I read in Psalm 130:6 these words:  "My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning—yes, more than those who watch for the morning."

Patsy Clairmont (one of my favorite Christian writers tells a story about a trip she once took.) "When the gentleman put up his hand to stop me from going through security at the airport, I complied. I already had stripped off my shoes, jacket, and purse to be scanned. Finally, the man waved me through and then immediately began wanding me. The wand sounded like a loaded Geiger counter that had just struck pay dirt as he whisked it around my chubby anatomy. The woman on the scanner then pointed out that my purse and carry-on needed to be searched.  I bet the Israelites never anticipated that it would take forty years to reach the Promised Land. Talk about delays. Enemies, rebellion, war, sickness . . . there was always something slowing them down and delaying their arrival.  What looked like sheer inconvenience and man-made barriers actually had been orchestrated by the hand of God. He knew the exact moment they would reach their destination. Delays were as much in his plan as manna and quails.
I remind myself of that when a flight is canceled, a mistake is made, an order is lost, a doctor’s report is delayed, or a request is misunderstood. We don’t know, but God might be protecting us with these delays. They may be God’s way of helping us realize our need for trust, patience, adaptability, and relinquishment."  Several years ago, the year 911 happened I flew to Bangor, ME to my friend Mary's sister.  We flew through Logan and it was a nightmare.  I was tired of traveling by the time I got there.....and grumpy.  Nothing was going as planned....my flight was dropped.....I was 5 hours later leaving....lines were long, people were scared, it was a bad day to be traveling.  I finally made it to Bangor....and on the return flight encountered problems of a grander scale.  Flights were cancelled, we were rerouted, replaned, on three different airlines....I was just hoping my suitcases would arrive with me.  We should have landed in Birmingham at 6 that evening....and 6 hours later we were touching down.  I was fit to be tied.  I had to be at work at 7 and was still an hour and a half away from my house.  I had not gotten the lesson here....so God was going to have to reteach me this one.  In 2009, I flew to Ireland with some kids.  We actually got on an earlier flight and got to Chicago 3 hours ahead of schedule.  I loved this....I love Chicago.  The airport in Chicago is a travelers delight.  Chicago smells permeate every single square foot.....oh yes this was heavenly.  Later....we discovered that the flight we were supposed to be on.....was cancelled...period!  God was definitely in charge here.  Have you ever left home, forgotten to unplug the iron, turned around and were later leaving?  Did it irritate you?  It used to irritate me.  It would actually take the joy out of my trip.  Until....once....down the road there was a wreck.....and I missed it.  I have learned that delays are not all bad....and I have also learned in my travels that God is my co-pilot....whether I am in the air or on the ground.  Oh just FYI I am not completely there yet.  I still get irritated when I have a doctor's appointment and have to wait for hours before being seen.  I have to keep working on that one!  Happy Tuesday to all.