“I’ll take a thousand knocks…”
There are some times when waiting is
practical, when it makes sense to hold off. I wouldn’t go out and buy a new wardrobe
if I was struggling to pay rent. Often, waiting is more than worth the while.
Sports fans in the city of Cleveland know this feeling. Chicago Cubs fans must
be anticipating an end to their waiting, with the notion of a championship ball
club being tossed around the past few years. It sometimes makes sense to wait
for direction. You cannot see something through until you are directed how to
begin. The waiting may seem like forever but usually results in a more
successful outcome. Perhaps you are seeking answers today. Perhaps you are
waiting to begin a new job, waiting on test results, waiting to be heard by
God.
Today officially kicks off the summer
and my favorite season of the year. I could write endlessly about the sights,
sounds and tastes of summer but this post is about how summer makes me feel.
Six years ago, my tennis partner Melissa and I would schedule play dates
throughout the sweltering summer months. She was a school teacher and naturally
had summers “off”. I was a full-time worker and part-time student, with few
free hours to spare. I was going to graduate school year-round but somehow made
time to hit the courts when I could. Melissa and I usually played tennis at the
next town over because the courts were well-kept and there were more of them
than the local courts offered. I would always arrive before her and wait in my
car with the AC blasting and my favorite songs on the stereo. In those moments,
I was waiting to begin a new tennis match. During my car waiting times, I also
used to pray silently. The moment seemed to call for a spiritual reflection and
peace. I often go back to these prayers and recall how I was immersed in God’s
presence. All the prayers and dreams I held back then were stored away in God’s
ears. It was in my waiting that I most felt Him near. There was without a doubt
no question in my mind and heart that our Lord was present. The only thing I
can compare it to now is going into labor. I knew I was in labor the moment in
began. When you feel God’s presence, there is no doubt. To me, this is what
summer embodies. The rising temperatures make me feel more alive. It is in the
summer that I feel more at peace with myself. Even today, now that most of my
prior prayers have been answered in one way or another, I am always waiting for
the summer to begin.
“..and wait while you make up your
mind”
No comments:
Post a Comment