Hurry Up and Wait…

Hurry Up and Wait…

Thursday nights have become a special “tradition” in my life. It’s Auxano night!! What that means for me – time to be surrounded with people of my age and timeframe of life (singlehood) and worship in the Word. Many of the gatherings involve food it seems but I look forward mostly to the gathering around the Word to see how we can apply it to our lives. Every other Thursday is a home group Bible study and the others are fellowship with a devotional challenge at the church Chapel in Scottsdale. I’m extremely blessed that God has led me to this group of people and I have been WELCOMED in with arms of Love!

I could go on and on about why I feel so connected to this group (in such a short time): how it’s a true place to love others without judgment or the transparencies of the leaders that lead to a bond of oneness or the servant attitude as a whole. What I feel most connected to is there genuine LOVE for JESUS!! People that really want to KNOW HIM – not their self or one another or looking for a marriage partner – but JESUS and what HE has for us.

Thursday this week was extremely applicable to my life and I was kind of taken by surprise on God’s timing! It seems that just when WE think we know where we’re going; God takes a U-turn and shows us what we NEED to see!! The topic was Slowing Down and Celebrating life; stopping to smell the roses if you may – it hit me between the eys. The poem that Scott read prior to the video from “The Life You’ve Always Wanted” was right on – we rush and rush…just to sit and wait. The one thing that stood out most to me from the video was a quote by C.S. Lewis that says, “Joy is the serious business of Heaven.” I’m no scholar, just a forgiven servant that is honest and one that is realizing that if I lacked the Joy of Jesus, I should indeed question the authenticity of my citizenship in Heaven and relationship with the Savior.

In the video, the speaker talked about the things that hold us back from experiencing slowing down and the lack of celebration in our daily lives. I can’t tell you the list he gave or what those where, but I can tell you what they are for me!! All too often: I let long lines in the grocery store or bank trip me up, a slow driver in my FAST lane on the highway irritate me – all because I have somewhere to go. Why do I so quickly forget who I am – a daughter of the King of Kings – and fall right into the trap of Satan and become like everyone else?!?

I’m slightly amused at the drivers who, in a hurry, drive like maniacs on the roads, cutting people off and yet they end up at the same exact red light as me. In a hurry…to wait!! Now, I understand the method to their madness – I have been that person before but I’m somewhat intrigued but this mentality that us Americans have come to call “normal”. In reality, as believers this is anything but the truth from what God calls “normal” – or so that’s how I understand the scriptures and the life we GIVE UP when we choose to follow Christ to be interpreted.

In the discussion time after, something that Chris said stood out to me and has been a thought I’ve been chewing on for all the hours since (even in the midst of my CRAZY busy schedule, list of errands to check off and work to be done). “Don’t hurry anything – you may miss God!”

Meditating on this thought has reminded me that it’s NOT about ME or MY list of “to do”. GOD wants to meet me in the moments of my life when I doubt what is going around me – when everything seems chaotic and out of control. God doesn’t want me to miss Him and what He has for me.

I pray I never forget to savor the presence of Jesus – especially in the midst of traffic on the I-10 or in those long line at the grocery store or bank. He IS there and He has something to teach me through it – I just pray He will open my heart to watch and listen!!

I’m BLESSED beyond measure by the LOVE of Jesus!!