The Soft Chair of Patience

Have you ever savored something so delicious that your taste buds jumped and screamed, "Where you been all my life?"

I had that experience Saturday night. Hubby and I attended a wedding, gorgeous event. We brought a piece of the homemade wedding cake home. I sunk my teeth into it. And I think my eyes crossed from the delight. It was simply out of this world, to die for, and finger- lickin’ good. (I think that’s enough clichés.)

The wedding reception was nestled in the middle of a quaint area near Orlando. But on the way home, rather than negotiate all those small cobble stone streets, hubby went to the reliable gadget - the GPs system.

He keyed our home address. We waited patiently, chit chatting about the fun time we had had. Amazing isn’t it? Knowing the information it would give, we had no problem waiting. We totally trusted on its accuracy to get us out of that part of town and on to the highway.

But funny people we are, in other areas of life, we just can’t do that. Waiting? No time for that, right? How often we get restless, bite our fingernails to the nubs, pace back and forth waiting for a prayer to be answered. And worse yet, anxious for results, we press the gas and take off in unfamiliar streets and dark alley, ending up lost, frustrated, disappointed, and eventually we run out of emotional fuel.

I’ve done that, trudged forth on my own. And all the while, God was calculating and planning the correct turns, the exact circumstance, series of events or preparing the path for something totally awesome. Why didn’t I just wait for Him? Because, like a fool, I thought I knew the way and plunged forward. Ugh.

Been there, done that. I also learned that what He wants from us while we wait is to settle in the chair of patience. He asks us to trust, simply trust. The other option is to rely on our sense of direction, and end up in dark, dead ends.

Is there anything you’re waiting for? Maybe the road is hazy and uncomfortably unfamiliar. You know where you want to go, what to achieve, when to get there…but you itch to dash forward.

Good news, God’s mighty hand is calculating every turn, every street name, and every mile of the journey.

Like the voice pouring from the GPS, God speaks, sometimes quietly, sometimes directly, often calmly and always, always with perfect accuracy.

In the past, when lost in my darkness, "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry" Psalm 40:1, That’s His promise, and here’s His warning. "Woe to the obstinate children," declares the LORD, "to those who carry out plans that are not mine… Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it’ (Isaiah 30:1, and 20-21).

Praying you can feel comfortable on the velvet, soft chair of patience. He’s planning a destination that will leave you in awe.


Janet Perez Eckles
“Every Trial has a Treasure, Every Triumph holds His Truth”
Here’s proof: www.janetperezeckles.com