Time (Part II)

I had so many thoughts about time, I had to split them into at least two posts. So you wouldn't get bored reading it all at once. Cuz I am so on to our culture's technology-driven ADD. Which segues perfectly into my next thought about time: instant gratification.

Here's the problem with modern technology; we have managed to create a world where we can get everything we want instantly. I don't even need to explain this because you know EXACTLY what I mean. That is why you are using DSL or cable internet to read this blog post because dial-up means waiting whole seconds for the page to load. Or even better, you are reading it on your cell phone so that you can read it not just WHEN you want it, but WHEREVER you want to.

Don't get me wrong: I LOVE being able to warm up a meal in minutes thanks to the microwave. I would hate having to wait for my laundry or hair to air-dry instead of using a dryer. I am a big fan of the internet and our ability to instantly communicate. I think this technology can be (and is being) leveraged for the Kingdom in amazing ways.

The problem comes when we start thinking everything needs to be instant just because some things are. I am struggling with this right now as I wait another three-ish weeks to find out the sex of my child, and another five-ish months to get to hold that sweet baby. Pregnancy is one of those few experiences that we have not yet figured out how to significantly speed up (and this is a really good thing, I think).

As I was reading Acts the past few weeks, I came across two interesting stories relating to timing and instant gratification. One is about Philip (Acts 8:26-40) and the other is about Paul (Acts chapters 23-28). Both of these men were among the earliest missionaries to non-Jews, and we can directly trace our exposure to the Gospel back to them.

Here's where it gets interesting: Philip was preaching to this Ethiopian out in the desert and then he was literally "snatched away" by the Spirit and taken to a town a significant distance away (like 20 miles or something, which was far back when they didn't have cars and plans and stuff). On the other hand, Paul felt God leading him to go to Rome, but his journey there took three or more years, and involved lengthy imprisonment, shipwreck, and several near-death experiences.

What I am learning from these examples, and from what God is showing me in my life, is that just because sometimes God can work instantly doesn't mean he always will. I get frustrated when I don't see the results I am looking for in my habits, my marriage, my SWITCHgroup, after just a few weeks or months of working on it. I start to doubt whether I am doing things the right way. What if I am missing something? Maybe I'm not trying hard enough? Maybe God doesn't have that in his plans for me after all.

I forget that, just because some things happen instantly, not all things are going to change or grow right away. It took Paul three years to get to Rome. It took Abraham 25-ish years to have a son after God had promised him descendants more numerous than the stars or the sand on the shore. It took Jesus 30 years to prepare for his three years of ministry. I need to stop trying to hurry everything in life, anxious to get to the next stage or the next goal. If it takes me 25 years to achieve just one goal, I want to be okay with that. I want to be content in God's timing and not be impatient or discouraged when things aren't happening as quickly as I think they should.

I want the next five months to fly by so I can hold my first child and look into its eyes and hear its cry and feel its skin and smell its head!