The countdown could take 9,125 days

I mentioned back on Election Day that I was reading Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson. The irony that day was standing in a long line waiting to vote and using the waiting time to read a book that described Abraham’s 9,125 day wait for God’s promise to be delivered to him.

Sometime later that week I got an email from Jimmy, a fellow I went to college with. I haven’t actually seen him in years. We keep up with each other infrequently, only trading emails every few months or so. He knows the general gist of our lives but not a lot of details. Same goes for what I know about his family. Being kindred spirits from way back, it doesn’t always take a lot of words to catch up.

When I emailed Jimmy back, I wrote, “Scott and I pray every day, several times a day, for God to move or move us. We've been praying that for years now. We're old and tired, and it shows. But we keep praying.”

I didn’t really explain to him why that was our prayer. I just knew he would know.

Jimmy read my Election Day blog post and replied, “You’ve got a lot of days left to pray, Abraham.”

Smarty pants. He’s right.

I felt like the message God was trying to get across to me was, “Sit back and enjoy the ride. This may take a while.”

Which is funny, because there was something else in the Wild Goose Chase book that I can’t get out of my head. I finished the book several days ago, but I’ve been back to reread one page over and over.

The whole book, in general, is about following the leadership of the Holy Spirit. The page (actually it’s just one paragraph) I keep rereading says that when the Holy Spirit leads, he does not take shortcuts. He always takes the scenic route because that is where we learn the most valuable lessons.

Ooo, I need to hear that again. The Holy Spirit does not take shortcuts. He always takes the scenic route.

You know, I have heard more people lately be more vocal about their belief that the end of days is near. They read the news and the see the current events and they say it’s getting closer.

Yes, I believe that were closer today than we ever have been to Jesus’ return. And we’ll be even closer tomorrow. I also think that Jesus’ return is the only way our earthy social, political, and moral problems will ever be resolved. I am not afraid. I will be relieved. Relieved that I will no longer have to pray, “How long, Oh Lord, how long?”

But as of today, as of this minute, I’m still here on this earth. As long as that is true, then I’m still on the scenic tour. There are still lessons to be learned. There are still prayers to be prayed. There are still lives to be changed. There are still people who need to be saved. He sees all of that and all the burdens that go with it more than I do.

So I wake up again and press on. Learning to enjoy the ride.

In His time. In His time.

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3: 21-23