notesbynora

I learned I was pregnant with my sixth child 10 years after my first. We were all excited and filled with anticipation. My daughter Hart was around 2 to  2 1/2 and took great interest in the developing baby in my belly. “So Mommy, what’s the baby doing now?” “Mommy, is the baby hungry?” “When can I see the baby?” “Why cant the baby come out now?” I bought a children’s book to help her through the process but the questions just continued  daily. There were times I found them to be “cute” and other times quite “annoying;” needless to say, my inquisitive 2-year-old did not let up until the day our Dory was born and she could see for herself her new baby sister.

My children are all quite older now but I look back on that time and am reminded of something my daughter taught me. We all know that in pregnancy, we couldn’t go to our Obstetrician and demand for a c-section. “Doctor, I’m just tired of waiting and I know it’s only been 5 months but I want to be delivered today.” At 5 months the baby is not fully developed. The probability that it would live is very low at least without a great deal of artificial intervention. God’s plan for the creation of a baby is pretty definite – 40 weeks – and most people know and understand the process. We only get anxious toward the end when we know its time.

How often are we like my daughter Hart to God?  “God, I’ve been praying for two weeks and nothing has happened?” “God, when? When are you going to give this to me?” “Why can’t it just happen now?” Just as a developing baby is in the hands of our Creator, so are the days of our lives. God’s intricate details are perfect and the outcome is in line with His plan for our purpose.

Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

In a society of Fast Food restaurants and Instant Messaging, One Hour Dry Cleaning and Overnight Delivery, we have become people who struggle with such a term -“WAITING.” Mr. Rogers from PBS’s children’s show used to sing a song, “What can we do while we’re waiting?” For years when my children were young, I would carry around a bag filled with entertaining objects for the sole purpose of getting us through the “waiting” times at the Dr.’s Office or meetings. It has become a human flaw, this waiting game. We complain about long lines and if our oil and lube session takes more than 15 minutes, we become annoyed.

Understand this – God is not in a hurry. Through out the Bible, every account of greatness took “TIME.” And there is nothing that God does that isn’t GREAT. There is a phrase, “Time is on our side.” With God, it is because He knows exactly the right amount of time to develop that chunky, pink, miracle of a baby even when we ask, like my daughter, for Him to hurry up. He knows the right amount of time and training we need to move forward in a particular direction. It is only when we decide to jump before He has instructed that we get into trouble.

I’m a big fan of swimming. My son swims at a collegiate level and recently I watched a particular event in which a swimmer “false started.” A rope was dropped across the pool to stop the young men who were hard pressed in pursuit of victory and the “false starter” was disqualified. It must be difficult to stand on the blocks, the stillness of the water below, the breath of the other challengers in rhythm, waiting for the starter to give the signal. Many times we “false start” before God is ready for us to dive in and swim for the win.  As I watched the disqualified athlete walk back to the bench to collect his things, I thought of my own life and how often I’ve jumped too soon while the race continued for everyone else.

God’s “Time is on our side.”

As a home school Mom, I have the “joy” of re-learning all that I should have learned in the 6th grade but was too busy passing notes with my best friend, Jere Weaver,  at Trinity Christian School. Unknown or maybe known by our teacher, Mrs. Reese, we spent the day writing messages about her handsome husband and hoping to have the chance to babysit for her on the weekend. Somewhere in between our scheming, I missed out on  Ancient Egypt and life on the Nile. Consequently, my daughter’s lessons intrigue me.

When the Nile River swelled and overflowed its banks, most of the plant life around it perished, the soil disintegrated, and the people would throw their rice seeds into the water. Interestingly, the seeds would take root and later would be found growing in productive vigor. The image reminded me of the scripture in Ecclesiastes 11:1, “Cast your bread upon the waters for after many days you will find it again.”  An odd verse to say the least when you consider the words. I related the scripture to “soggy bread” and moved on; but, in actuality the words of the Teacher are quite profound, especially for today’s world.

I lived in Tampa Florida for a brief period of time. I categorize these four years as “…the best of times and the worst of times…” to steal a phrase from one of my favorite books The Tale of Two Cities. The route home from my place of work and the day care center brought images of homeless people, living under by-pass bridges with cardboard tents and shopping buggies. An elderly man in particular sparked my interest and one day I stopped to give him dinner I purchased at the nearby Publix. All properly packaged in a styrofoam container, plastic utensils included, I approached him with my offering. “Sir, I bought this for you. I thought it might help.”  He casually smiled at me, thanked me, and to my surprise said, “I’m not hungry now. Maybe you should take it home with you.” Perplexed by his statement, I turned on my heels and returned to my car confused. Months later I learned the man was a minister who devoted his life to caring for drug addicts and the mentally ill.

After six or so months of passing him daily, I mustered up all the courage possible, returned to the by-pass, approached the older gentleman and inquired how I could help him. “Awwww,” he said with a gentle gaze, “You learned.” Often we assume to know that which does not exist. Often we categorize people we know nothing about.

God does not need our opinions, He needs our obedience. In daily life we encounter all types of people, although we have no ability to know how our actions impact them; but, God does. Recently, God convicted my spirit when I passed a begger on the street corner of Atlanta. Pulling my daughter away from him, I quickened my step so that we would not be late for the ballet. “He will just spend the money on drugs,” I whispered to her, “It would be better to give him food.”

“Cast your bread upon the water for after many days you will find it again.”

I must admit, I could not enjoy Sleeping Beauty, thinking of what I had said, remembering the man in Tampa, and offering to God my opinion of someone HE loves. After the production I hurriedly returned to the corner where the man once stood. I missed my chance to help.

While we might assume by tossing our bread upon the water it will only result in a soggy mess, God knows differently. Like the rice seeds of ancient days, He can grow that which we toss, but we first have to obey His instruction to toss it. It is only when we give of our provisions, our time, and our service can God use our offering to benefit His kingdom; but, we first must respond to the instruction and act.