As many of you know I am not patient. If I can't do something I at least want to plan and prepare. When we were separated during both Harvey & Imelda by water, I planned. I called and checked on people. I made lists of who needed help, who could help and what help needed to be done. I kept track of where people had evacuated to. When that was done I turned to prepare worship for when we could be together. Harvey taught me a lot. Which included not wearing myself out because when I could get to Faith it would be non-stop for a bit.
With our current situation, I began talking and planning at the beginning of March, but we anticipated that at most we would need to spread out, not pass the peace and wave at each other. I thought we had a plan. And in the blink of an eye it became clear that the most responsible thing we could do was to stay home. A few plans because this would not be forever. Write devotions, plan worship, check on folks, record worship. Wash, rinse, repeat. As the weeks went by it became clear that what we were doing would not just be for a short season. I began to ask God for wisdom and direction. How, where, what can we do to be faithful to God and each other. This week I've shared about our historical legacy that John Wesley gave to us in the organization of Methodist Societies, Classes & Bands. I wrote about our need to begin to dream and imagine what that might look like. I so want to be able to immediately take what people had been thinking about and to begin to plan.
But it doesn't work that way. I'm reminded of this joke:
A man was wandering in the woods pondering all the questions of life, the universe, and his own personal problems. The man could not find any answers so he sought help from God.
"God!? God?! Are you there God?!", he shouted.
God responded, "What is it my son?"
"I have a few questions, mind if I ask?"
"Go right ahead, my son - ask anything," God said.
"God, what is a million years to you?"
God said, "a million years to me is only a second."
"Hmmm", he wondered. Then he asked again, "God, what is a million dollars worth to you?"
God said, "A million dollars to me is only worth a penny."
The man lifted his eyebrows and proceeded to ask a final question. "God can I have a penny?"
And God cheerfully said, "Sure!!.....in a second."
I do not believe that God will makes us wait forever but I think when we do wait we open ourselves to more opportunities. I know that on many occasions it is worth the wait. So as this week draws to a close I invite you to pray, asking God for wisdom and direction, for imagination to see how we can begin to live more faithfully in this next season.
Let us pray - God we love you and we know you love us - help us to wait and listen to your voice as we ponder how to live and love faithfully. In Christ's name we pray, Amen.
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