Faces on Faith: Waiting on the Lord
Every time I bike to work at the church, I pass the Periwinkle skeletons. You’ve probably seen them too: two cheerful skeletons out by the street sitting in chairs next to a sign that reads “Still waiting for the insurance check.”
Most of us can relate. Who knew hurricane recovery involved so much waiting? We’re waiting for insurance checks, property assessments, contractors and materials. Contractors are waiting on labor and permits and parts. Everything seems to be moving slower and it doesn’t make sense.
We are not used to this pace. Sanibelians tend to be take-charge, get-er-done kinds of people. Furthermore, we inhabit a world of Amazon next-day delivery, instant video streaming and convent apps. But now we wait. And wait. Suddenly no amount of cajoling or cash can accelerate things.
Why does God make us wait? Why do prayers go unanswered? First and foremost, God is reminding us that he is God, and we aren’t. Delays can disabuse us of the delusion that we are in control. Waiting also exposes our sins, like pride and entitlement, and our idols, like comfort and convenience. and even the island itself. We all seem like nice people until frustrations and setbacks happen. Then we react and find ourselves looking in the mirror. It’s usually not a pretty sight.
The Bible is full of stories of people who waited on God. Abraham waited patiently for the birth of his promised son, Isaac. The Israelites waited in Egypt for generations until God sent Moses to deliver them. David was anointed king as a young man, but it wasn’t until age 30 that he took the throne. And during that interim he was hunted by King Saul. Psalm 13 begins “How long, O Lord?”
But unlike insurance companies, God always keeps his promises in his time. Yes, we do wait on the Lord, but he always comes through. God has kept his greatest promises of all, that he would send his Messiah, the savior who would take away the sins of the world. In the fullness of time he sent Jesus. We push for money and materials, but have we received the greatest blessing of all, namely forgiveness and eternal life that comes by simple faith in Jesus?
We can’t necessarily speed things up. But we can reframe our perspective and see this time as waiting on the Lord. God is sovereign, and God is good. These delays are an opportunity to seek him. We wish we could hear from our adjustor. What if God is waiting to hear from us?
Pastor Jeramie Rinne is the senior pastor at the Sanibel Community Church.