"HURRY UP AND WAIT"

Well, you guessed it. That’s what “Grannie” always said!!! “Hurry up and wait.” Or…….”the hurrieder I go the more behind I get!!!” For what?! For nothing. For more headaches, more heartaches! Does it really pay to be in a hurry? The more hurried we get, the more opportunities we pass up. As moms we pass up a golden moment many times because we’re in too much of a hurry to stop and pay attention to that child. Something that can only be captured in that “hurried moment!!” As wives we miss that one kiss or hug that we might not ever have opportunity to get again. As Christian women we may miss an opportunity to witness to that clerk at the grocery store who may just need to be given a smile because her day is not what she had hoped for. Maybe even her life is in a shambles and we were put in her path that day to encourage her but because we were in such a “hurry” we didn’t take time to notice the opportunity God gave us……..until it’s to late and the moment is past. Unfortunately all to many times that happens. Our lives are so filled with “things to do” that we get in such a hurry because there’s never enough time in a day to do everything that’s on our list. And if any of you are like me, it just kills you if that list is not complete at the end of the day!!! Issues………I think that’s what they tell me it’s called!!! J So many times lately I have found myself “coming and going” if you will.........burning the candle at both ends!!! There are so many things to do, so many people to see and so many places to go, it seems like I get absolutely nothing accomplished. As “Grannie” would say: “to many irons in the fire,” which in turn causes you to get in that hurried state!! The things that are most important get pushed by the wayside and the people who matter the most become less important and you never make it to the place that you truly needed to be!!! As Christians, we have become so hurried that we have hurried our devotional time. We want our church services to be scheduled to accommodate our needs. We want the Preacher to “hurry” the message along because we have things to do!!! We even “speed read” the Bible because we’re in such a hurry. It seems to me that in every account of Christ’s life on this earth, He was always busy, but I don’t recall Him ever being in a hurry!!! Hence, the death of Lazarus. When He received the news of Lazarus’ death, He did not immediately drop what He was doing and rush to his side. Let’s see, if my memory serves me right…….He was “four days late!!!!!” He always took time to pay attention to the needs of others, to talk to a child, to heal the sick or to raise the dead!!!

I think it’s high time that we get “unhurried” and take the time to call that someone special, send a card, make a visit to the hospital. Time to maybe make dinner ahead of time so you can sit and talk with your loved ones or play game with your children or grandchildren. Make a conscience decision to slow down. It’s simply time to show love to the unloved and give hope to the hopeless.

Here’s one more: “stop and smell the roses along the way!!!!” What a sweet aroma there is if we just take that time!!

“ So when He heard that he(Lazarus) was sick,
He stayed two more days in the place where He was.”
John 11:6