Why the Rush?

I have a scar that goes through my eyebrow. I have had it ever since I was 8. How I got it is not something cool or epic. In fact, when people ask me how I got it, I simply tell them, “the couch.” I normally do not go into detail after that either, partly because I like the confused look on their faces, and partly because I find it a bit embarrassing. But here it goes. Mind you, it is not a long story.

That night, the phone rang. I don’t know if you were this way, but being allowed to answer the phone as a little kid was something special, at least I thought so. Maybe that is why I hate phones now 😜. Anyway, so the phone was ringing, and I did not see anyone going to go answer it in the living room, so I decided to. I did not know if someone else was going to answer from another room, so I ran to the phone. Me, being the kid I was, I just wanted to answer it. But here is the thing, my shoelace was untied. I knew it too, but I wanted to get to that phone. As you can guess, I tripped on my shoelace. My face slid down the base of the couch, ripping open my eyebrow. Pretty pathetic right?

But that’s what I get. I knew my shoelace was untied. I should have taken the time to tie it. But instead, I rushed to the phone. Resulting in a hospital visit afterward.

Are you rushing things?

If there is one thing that my experience has taught me, it is not to rush. Rushing causes things that could have been avoided. But you may be saying, “I am getting tired of taking it slow, of waiting. I just want the desired result to happen already!” Trust me, I know. I’ve gone through it too, even though I know better.

Maybe that desired result of yours is a new job or that promotion. It could be to find Mr. or Mrs. Right. Maybe you are trying for a child? Maybe it is something that God has called you to do. That one, at times, is a tough one for me. I am one to think that if God is calling me to it, I need to act NOW. But why rush?

I am reading the gospel of Luke. And I recently read the part where Jesus started his ministry. In chapter 3, verse 23a I read, “Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry.” Now, given how he acted as a child, I know that he knew why he was on earth. He knew the Father’s calling for him. But he did not rush it. He worked in a carpenter’s shop until he was thirty. He trusted his Father’s timing for his life. Many others did as well, such as Abraham, Joseph, and David.

God’s timing is the perfect timing. If we try to do things before his timing, we may end up in the hospital getting stitches as I did all those years ago. Because something we may not realize all the time is maybe, just maybe, God is leading us towards our calling. Maybe he is making sure our shoes are tied, preparing us for the results. So, instead of running ahead of our Father, ignoring his preparations for our calling, we should resist the temptation to jump ahead.

Trust God’s timing. What is meant to be will happen. Do not rush it, force it, or jump ahead of God in obtaining it. Remember that the journey is just as important. Why the rush?

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