Robin Reflections: Day 4

No new eggs.  The chicks have not hatched.  Now the waiting begins.

For me, waiting represents one of the most difficult things of life.  Have you ever been in a situation where it is difficult to wait?  My family and I have.  Take the occasion when I was without a job for nine months.  I was hard pressed to know how I was going to pay my mortgage (or groceries for that matter).  It was difficult when a prospective employer would say, "We will contact you in several weeks concerning that job opening."  Or, several years ago when the doctor said, "This might be cancerous.  We will get back to you in several days and when we know the lab results."  In times like those, Psalm 27:14 is a real comfort, "Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!"

Why is it so difficult for us to wait?  Why is it that this is a task that frustrates us as human beings?  It may be because it tells us that we can not control every aspect of our lives.  Waiting reminds us that we are not truly the masters of our destinies. 

There is an alternative to "waiting on the Lord".  It is called worry.  Worry gives us the false impression that we are accomplishing something when in reality it paralyzes and eventually chokes the very life out of us.  For example, our robin friend could have said, "I don't think I will lay eggs this year because a boa constrictor may eat the eggs."  Well, I suppose that is possible.  However, I have never seen a fence post climbing, egg swallowing snake any where near my back yard in Iowa.

I think another reason why waiting is so difficult is because we don't really know what is going to happen tomorrow.  Sometimes our imagination gets the best of us.  We stay up late watching a science fiction movie and then worry why this country doesn't figure out some way of protecting the planet from invading aliens!

I do not mean to belittle your situation.  Perhaps your world really is spiraling out of control.  The Bible gives us several practical suggestions regarding what we should do while we are waiting.  Philippians 4:5,6 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

I heard someone with a witty sense of humor say once, "Why pray when you can worry!"  What is the end result of worry?  Fear.  Sleepless nights.  Ulcers.  What is the end result of prayer and petition?  The verse above continues and gives us the answer.  "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7  In other words, the Apostle Paul is saying that even though you can't figure it out, even though it doesn't make sense, when you pray God gives you His peace.  And that peace functions like a guard standing watch over your heart and mind.

A guard is someone who watches over property in order to protect it so someone won't break in.  Prayer watches over your heart and mind so the enemy, General Worry won't break in.

So next time, when you have to wait on something, guard against the temptation to worry by choosing to pray instead.  Perhaps remembering one of my favorite verses, Isaiah 40:31 will help:

But those who wait on 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.

Why worry, when you can pray!