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Day 87: Wait With Hope!



June 10, 2020

I have waited in line for a lot of things.  In the late 1970’s I waited in line to get gas, in my humongous 1967 Pontiac Catalina.  There was an oil and gas shortage, so everyone panicked and there were mile long lines at every gas station.  The good news was that my car would hold 26 gallons of gas.  The bad news was that it only got 10-11 miles per gallon and so sitting in line for 2 hours would use up a lot of fuel.  One time I ran out of gas waiting in line for gas, but there were so many others in line, it was easy to get help pushing my “tank” up to the pump.  (And did I mention it was summer and I had no AC?)  Ah, good times…. LOL  Also in the 70’s, I waited for hours to see the first “Star Wars” movie, which was totally worth it.  On a very cold Thanksgiving night in 2005, I waited in line outside a Target, to buy the latest Nintendo for my kids at a “Black Friday” sale.  Some of the longest, hottest waits I ever experienced were at “the happiest place on Earth” (AKA Disney World), where we waited more than once to ride the best rides again.  Another memorable wait in line was with my three youngest daughters, packed body to body, with thousands of other excited teenage girls and their moms, to get into the One Direction concert.  (also, totally worth it!)  What do all these instances have in common besides the long lines?  They were all something that a lot of people needed or wanted.  People were willing to arrive early, sweating in the heat or shivering in the cold and wait as long as necessary, to get what they were there for.  These things were in high demand and no one wanted to miss out.  Not everything is worthy of a long wait to everyone and not everything lives up to the hype.  The good news is that the thing we all need the most is never in short supply and there is no waiting on any aisle number.  God’s love for us is never on back order.  He delivers peace and comfort to our door, instantly. (faster than Amazon)  Signing in to “our account” is instantaneous and we all have the same password: “God, I need you.” (or just the name “Jesus”)  Just to clarify, it is His love, joy, peace and comfort that we can receive quickly into our hearts.  Sometimes we do have to wait for answers to prayer for circumstances in our lives.  So, we should also pray for acceptance and understanding when those types of answers are delayed.  God knows what we need and when.  What are you willing to wait for?  What are you waiting for that you could have immediately?  It is something to think about, maybe while you’re standing in line.  Romans 12:12 (TLB) says: “Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and prayerful always.” And Isaiah 40:31 (TLB) says: “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”  Wait with hope!  Smile and be joyful!

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