Trust The Delay
Picture this. It’s very early in the
morning. My wife and I are sitting on a plane in New Orleans preparing to
return home. We’d had a late night so we were exhausted. We settled into our
seats and prepared for the 2 hour plane trip. Vicki pulls out her iPad & I
pulled out mine and we got as comfortable as you can on an airplane. The plane
began to taxi away from the gate and we were on our way. And that was a good
thing. Because once we landed, kids, grands, errands, meetings and chores awaited us.
The plane continued to taxi down the
runway, but then it came to a complete stop. Initially we didn’t pay much
attention to it because we’d started losing our ability to concentrate on the
iPads…our eyes were slowly drifting shut. But after about 10 minutes we
realized that we’d been stopped longer than normal.
Right about the time we realized
we’d been sitting for a while, the pilot’s voice came over the intercom and
informed us that there was a mechanical issue with the plane. We were told that
we would have to sit on the runway until the mechanics came to check it out. He
jokingly said “thank goodness we caught it while we were still on the ground.
We’d hate to get into the high altitudes and expect the mechanics to come up
there”.
Eventually the mechanics arrived to
the plane, fixed the issue and we were off! We arrived slightly behind
schedule, but safe. Thank God.
I love how God teaches me life lessons in the
midst of my ordinary, every-day situations. This was no different.
See, as we waited on the mechanics
to check out the plane I was reminded that the same scenario often happens in
our lives. We board the “plane” of our dreams, hopes, and goals. We make sure
everything is on point…or at least we think everything is on point. We prepare
for take-off. But often as we are about to start a new journey, go to the next
level, or experience something different, something happens and there is a
delay.
I don’t like delays. If I am
supposed to leave at 8am, I want to leave at 8am. Not 8:15am, not 9am. I want
to leave at 8am.
I don’t like delays.
But I have learned (well. Honestly?
I am learning….) to trust the delay. And trusting the delay means having faith
in God. Having faith that His plan and will for our lives is so much more strategic
and purposeful than we could ever imagine or conjure up!
Unlike the pilot, I find no humor in
“middle of the air mechanical problems”, but all jokes aside the pilot preached
a mini-sermon to me in that moment.
“Thank goodness we caught it while we
were still on the ground. We’d hate to get into the high altitudes and expect
the mechanics to come up there”.
Did you catch the mini-sermon? The
pilot was talking about a plane…but I heard it for my own life. One of my
constant prayers is that my gifts don’t take me anywhere that my character
can’t keep me.
As you and I continue to move into
new dimensions in every area of our lives, we don’t want to go higher and then
crash because our character couldn’t withstand the pressure.
Don’t get me wrong. We never get to
a place where we’ve arrived and are free from the need to make character
adjustments. But at each new level we must make sure that who we are can
withstand the pressures that will inevitably come as we ascend.
So as much as I don’t like delays, I
know that the delay may be God’s greatest gift to me.
Just like with the airplane on our
trip, the adjustment that needs to be made might be minor. Think about it. We
didn’t have to get off the plane and we didn’t have to turn around and go back.
We simply had to stop for a minute, fix the problem and then we were able to
keep going.
The delay may be the same for you.
It doesn’t mean that you stop, walk away and give up on your dreams. It may
simply mean that you need to allow your team (your spouse, family, counselor,
pastor, etc) to help you fix the problem and then you will be on your way.
Ignoring the delay is dangerous.
Moving forward despite God’s whisper
to wait…
Refusing to allow yourself to be
surrounded by “mechanics” that can help you address the issue…
Placing your dreams and goals above
the bigger picture…
Ignoring the delay is dangerous. So
don’t do that. Don’t ignore the delay. Be still. Be quiet. Be open.
Have faith that if God has pushed
pause then you should heed the warning and trust the delay.
“We can make our plans, but the Lord
determines our steps." - Proverbs 16:9
