It all started with a burned pan of biscuits during the morning rush. We were keeping pace with orders, customers were smiling, the line was moving, and then, WHAM.  Suddenly we were in nowhere land, because of one pan of ruined biscuits, and we were told it would be eight minutes before we had any more.  I NEVER knew how long eight minutes could be!!  We had to ask customers to have their biscuits put on buns, or bagels, or order something else that didn’t require a biscuit..leading to re-orders, confusion, and frustration for those customers who chose to settle for only what we could offer.

Some customers, however, decided to wait it out, and sat in tree shaded parking spors and had nice hot fresh food delivered to them that was exactly what they wanted.  And they drove away very happy.  Now of course, there are those who cannot wait..bosses don’t understand being late because your restaurant was behind…but many who chose an alternative just simply were too impatient to wait.  And believe me when I say I was most impatient to get those fresh biscuits too!  I hate having to disappoint people.

God reminded me right then of one of my major spiritual weaknesses that I have been trying to improve for many years:  my impatience when waiting on Him!  I am always eager to go to Him with problems, obstacles, requests for loved ones.  I love “yes” answers, and I have learned to live with the “no” answers.  But the “not now” ones???  Sometimes I’d rather have a root canal than to hear that from the Lord!  And so I find myself fussing, complaining and feeling very inconvenienced when it happens.  I am a very unhappy “customer” if I have to “park” my plans and wait on Him. I have been known, also, to take a “bun” or “bagel” from either the world’s solutions or my own resources, rather than wait.

AND YET!  God has a very nice “parking spot” (His will) where I can comfortably wait in a nice shady area (His love and grace) and then wait for “fresh delicious” answers, that are EXACTLY what I really want and need!  And they are hand delivered to me, WHEN I wait, by a loving, generous God who prepared them just for me!

So!  The nexr time I am in a potential “not now” situation, I am praying that God will give me the wisdom to recognize the value of waiting, and the strength to persevere in it!  That way I am satisfied, He is glorified, and I am able to grow in my love and wonder of Him!