Right Now!

It's hard sometimes, when we don't get what we want. Actually, it can be frustrating to realize that we are not in control, and cannot make something happen, or not happen, as the case may be. I know that there is a God who is All-Knowing and All-Loving. I also believe that when considering our prayers, requests, and/or demands, God does not reply, 'Well, My Child, let me get back to you on this matter. But in the meantime, I'm going to keep you busy with Problem A, Situation B, and Frustrating Person C. While you are stuck in the middle of A, B, and C, and don't know what to do, I'll be considering your petition. Don't forget - God loves you!' Yet, we put that mindset on God, assuming that God responds in a human fashion. In our world, we work with Yes/No situations and responses. Yes, I will help at that event. No, I cannot be at this gathering. Yes, I am ready for the presentation. No, I don't want to leave yet. Occasionally, a maybe or two creeps into our vocabulary if we aren't ready to give a definitive Yes/No, but there is always some type of response, usually immediate. So it can be rather challenging for us humans to accept the other possible, and most likely response from God - silence. Because we require an immediate answer, we interpret the silence into something we can understand - 'No'. However, this does not fit with the image of a God who cares about us. We must overcome our human tendancy to expect an immediate response and accept the response we receive - silence. So what does this silence mean? It may mean 'Wait'. Patience is something we are not good at. When we are hungry, we eat. When we are thirsty, we drink. When we want something, we buy it. Now, now, now! So, when we are faced with silence, we are in a situation we cannot control or change, and we assume the worst. This is when we can become bitter, thinking that God doesn't care about us. Or we decide that we are self-reliant - we don't need God. Either way, God's not worth the hassle. However, if we are able to rise above our tendancies and actually listen, our answer is in the silence. God's not done. We haven't been told 'No'. We have been asked to 'Wait'. Waiting is always hard, especially when it is something near and dear to our hearts. It goes against our nature. Waiting means that God has a plan, a plan which will work for our good, but we need to have faith. Waiting means that we must cultivate our patience and trust. None of this is easy. But once we get our eyes off of OUR goals and expectations, we will see that God is there, waiting. Lucky for us, God's patience is eternal, and God's love is everlasting. When we hear the silence, and accept the message, we will see God, with arms open wide, waiting for us. And we are reminded that God was waiting, all along, for us to accept the plan. Not our plan, but God's plan. Even if we don't understand it, or why we must wait, we know that God is there, reminding us to have faith and trust. For the plan will unfold in God's time, not ours. That means we must wait.