July 17
DebDay 125: Rearrange My Day
I've been accused of many things over the course of my life. Much of it true. Comes as part of the pastor's job description. Or more likely, the "Mike Profile." But there remain some things I've never been accused of.
I've never been accused of being older (wiser) than I am. (Read into that what you will.)
I've never been accused of being without an opinion. (No argument...unless you disagree with me.)
And I've never been accused of being patient.
I waited all day Wednesday for the "pest control professional" to show up. (We have a new population of nocturnally active mice in our attic.) I stayed home all day. Exterminator guy never showed up. It's happened before. I was not altogether happy after the 8 to 5 window closed. I have to remember to act like a Christian if he shows up as rescheduled on Monday.
Thursday's weather forecast (on the majority of my app's) said it was going to be raining by 4:00pm. I said "no" to some things that would have been a lot more fun. I chose not to initiate some phone calls I otherwise would have been happy to make. I rearranged my entire workday so I could get the lawn mowed before the rains came. (Our grass grows fast.)
So I mowed the lawns (plural.) And (like Noah) I looked up to see some very ominous dark clouds forming in the sky. And then I waited to be vindicated by the soon to follow deluge of Biblical proportions.
I continued to wait. Then I waited some more. Through the evening (including during our GC Zoom meeting) I waited for the rain to come and vindicate me. 4:00 was now distant in my rear view mirror.
It didn't. It didn't come. It did not vindicate me. And it left me feeling impatient. Waking this morning to see dry streets just rubbed salt in my proverbial wound.
As mentioned, I've never been accused of being patient.
Sadly, this translates over to my relationship with the Lord. I do not do the "wait for the Lord" thing well at all. Never have. Seriously, a character flaw still in need of additional sanctification.
I can find myself praying, and expecting instant responses. In the absence of an instant response, my assumption is that God has said "No!"
Like you, I am waiting for the Covid thing to end. I am waiting for church life to return to something resembling what we remember. I am waiting to go on airplanes again. Frankly, I'm waiting for a sunny day.
All of this waiting is dependent, not on what I can control, but on what God already controls. My lack of patience is ultimately a sovereignty issue.
So the Lord is teaching me what I've been loath to learn. How to be patient. How to wait. How to keep praying. How my impatience often leaves me thinking and acting like a child.
Like Psalm 37:34 says, I need to go back to remedial faith school and learn to wait for the Lord, and see my strength renewed.
Which will probably mean I need to rearrange my day. And my life.
So Deb doesn't have to listen to my near constant weather reports.
-Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church | Juneau
