Sunday, June 1, 2008

Keep Your Lamps Burning

The World of Queue

I recently read that the average person will spend about three years of life waiting in line. There are all types of lines to wait in. For example: amusement parks, grocery stores, the DMV, doctor’s offices, restaurants and of course the much loved automated phone systems. Please press two.

This statistic wasn’t too surprising. I was a little taken aback, however, when I discovered that waiting in line has developed an entire industry. These queues (lines of waiting people) involve everything from telecommunications to traffic flow. Queuing theory is the mathematical study of waiting in line. I’m not making this up. An industry has evolved whose primary purpose it is to cut down the time in lines and to keep us happy while we are waiting. It seems we are happier if we are being entertained, informed or in some way distracted while we wait.

I’ve been fortunate. I haven’t had to endure the world of queue much lately. My last big wait was for spring. For no particular reason this past winter seemed to be very long and spring teased and sneaked its way in between the snow squalls.




It’s now June 1st and I am convinced that this is spring. The days are pleasant with cooler evening and mornings. There’s not much threat of snow and it’s raining more than usual. April 1st I started noticing the first signs of spring. Green blades of grass poked through the dead lawn and the early birds were growing restless. I began my annual ritual of awaiting the bloom of the lilac tree. The full light purple blossoms are a treat to my eyes and the sweet aroma is a gift from God. I decided to record its progress. At first there was little or no sign of advancement. However, I knew that on the inside it was changing.

This is not the first time that I’ve waited for signs of change. If you’ve ever told anyone about your faith in Jesus, you’ve probably hoped for results. If you’ve ever offered the world’s greatest advice or tried to make a difference in a life through teaching, loving, praying, or coaching you may know the angst that sometimes follows as you wait for results. And if you're a praying person you know what it's like to wait on the Lord.

I find that I don’t always get to see the changes taking place beneath the surface. I am simply asked to be obedient. I can plant and water, but God does the real work in his time as only he can do it. I just have to except that change is taking place weather I can see it or not, just like with the lilacs.

Not being able to see or know everything that I may want to also has benefits. It plants faith and makes it grow. Because I am given faith I am given hope and I have no desire to live in a world without hope. “We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It's an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us.
(Hebrew 6: 18-20 The Message)

The Bible talks a lot about waiting. It tells about waiting patiently (Romans 8:25), waiting in hope (Psalm33:20), waiting eagerly. (1 Corinthians 1:7), and waiting to the point of embarrassment (Judges 3:25). “God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.” (1 Peter 3:20)

As God’s children we are called to wait. Romans 8:23 says, “Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the LORD, be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”

God’s Queuing System

I believe God has a queuing system of his own. His is not a systematic plan of distraction but of use and purpose. We are not to sit motionless, tapping our fingers with impatience and boredom. “We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies.” (2 Thessalonians 3:11)

The Bible is full of things to do while we wait for the LORD. Luke12:35-37 sums it up pretty well. "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them."

Psalm 37:3-7 gives some great advice on how to keep the lamps burning. “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit you way to the LORD; Trust in him and he will do this. He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;”

They waited for me as for showers and drank in my words as the spring rain." Job 29:23

- Lisa

No comments: