I do not like waiting. I hate having to have patience. I do not like not knowing.
Call me a control freak, but I want to fix things and make situations better. Unfortunately, there are lots of events that are out of my control.
What do you do in those situations?
If you have ever been to the circus, you have probably seen the trapeze artists. A trapeze act is made up of two performers: a flyer and a catcher. When the flyer is in air, he or she has only one job and that is to wait. If the flyer panics, or starts thrashing around trying to catch the catcher, it is likely that things are not going to end well. However, if the flyer remains calm and peaceful, the catcher can reach out, grab their arms and swing them back to safety.
Often, my desire to fix things only makes them worse. Being upset and agitated only adds to the problem. As much as I hate to admit it, sometimes the very best thing to do is to wait for the answer that you need.
The apostle Paul, who was no stranger to trouble, said it this way, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-9).
It is worth noting that waiting does not mean that we do nothing. We may not be able to change what is happening, but we can choose how we will go through it. We can decide what we will focus on.
Waiting gives us time to be thankful for what we have and to pray for what we want to see. When we learn to do this, then he says that we will find “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding” and that peace is the key that helps us get through our struggles well.
It is a lesson that I hate, but one that I still need to learn.
When things feel up in the air and out of control, be calm and trust.
God will always catch you.
