Shining Moments

May 25, 2012

Waiting is difficult.

It’s all too easy to run ahead.

Have you ever done it?

Years ago, too many to count, we suddenly discovered that a circular metal fence around our flowerbed had been taken.

My parents were upset.

Troubled.

Disappointed.

So a few days later while walking home from school

   my brother and I (He was 9 and I was 7)

   spied a circular metal fence.

We looked at each and almost simultaneously knew what we had to do.

Lone Ranger and Tonto to the rescue.

We tiptoed to the flower bed.

Looking both ways to be sure that we weren’t seen

   we lifted and dragged the fencing away.

Down the back street

  through the adjoining yard

      until we got home. Whew.

We ever so carefully arranged it back at its place

  and silently went inside

    to await my father’s arrival from work.

I remember being so excited. I just knew that he would be pleased.

We had solved the problem on our own.

They didn’t need to worry about that fence ever again.

When I heard the car door shut my brother and I raced to the door.

“Hi, Daddy. Guess what,” we both said.

We grabbed his hands and walked him out to the back yard.

Then standing in front of the flower bed we said

      “See.”

“What in the world,” I heard him mutter. “What is this?”

We told him how we had seen it and knew that it was ours.

How we had dragged it all the way home.

But something was wrong. He wasn’t smiling.

“You’re going to have to take this back.”

My heart sank.

“Why?”

“Because it’s not ours.” I’ll never know how he knew (smile) but we loaded the fence in the back of our car and drove to the people’s house.

I was so embarrassed as we had to explain how we had thought that it was ours.

And had just taken it.

We had assumed.

Jumped to the wrong conclusions.

And we were wrong. It’s a lesson I never forgot.

Waiting is difficult in our day and age of quickness and speed.

We want fast relief from pain, discomfort and difficulty.

But we are told, “Wait for the Lord, Be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” Psalms 27:14

Waiting doesn’t necessarily mean inaction but let’s be sure that we have sought the Lord’s guidance.

His  timing is always best.

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