Then the Lord said to me, “Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.”
~Habakkuk 2:2-3
~Habakkuk 2:2-3
I have decided I’d like to be the female version of this guy…and this guy…and these guys. Seriously, mix all four of them together, do a quick Y-to-X chromosome replacement and viola, pretty sure that’s who I’d like to be.
Because they’re c-r-a-z-y funny.
(Moment of sheer honesty: I actually know nothing about these guys in real life. For all I know, they might have caveman manners or prefer rodents for pets – neither of which settle all that well with me. But because I’m somewhat of an idealist – and because I think it’s nice to give people the benefit of the doubt – I’m going to assume they’re as cool in person as they are online.)
So of the four of these funnymen (huh, that’s actually a word), Jon Acuff has rocked my “I’m a fan list” the longest. Stuff Christians Like is on my “must read every day and especially on crappy days” list. (Yes, apparently I have a lot of lists.) I read his book Gazelles, Baby Steps and 37 Other Things Dave Ramsey Taught Me About Debt in one day…And trust me, it’s funny even if you’ve never cracked open a Dave Ramsey book or attended a Financial Peace University class. (And why haven’t I, you ask? Because I’m scared if I do, Dave will tell me I could save over $200/year if I’d stop drinking Diet Coke with Lime.)
So, now I’m reading Acuff’s latest book Quitter…and loving it. All the hilarity you’d expect from the genius behind SCL is there, plus honest-to-goodness…wisdom. Yep, and from a guy who, if I’ve got my facts right, is in his mid-30s.
Wisdom. I want a piece of that. Seriously, I do. I want the real thing – the kind I see in my parents, some of my amazing writing friends, in the pages of Quitter.
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| Wisdom + this cake = awesome 35th bday |
And I’m thinking if it’s possible for this author to offer up such wisdom by age 35, maybe that’s a goal I can set for myself, too. Which gives me about five and one-third years to pull a Solomon. Doable, yeah?
What, you say? Doesn’t work that way?
Just like deciding I want a book contract by the end of the year doesn’t work?
Or planning on a husband, kids, house and so-SUVish-it’s-almost-cool minivan by age whatever?
Or doing what I love fulltime by such-and-such a date?
Not fair because I like to accomplish things and I like to accomplish them when I want to accomplish them…i.e. on time. My time.
(Yeah, so earlier this week when I noted my Type AB personality? This would be my Type A side showing up. In full force. Probably wearing a cape.)
Well, so, ever had those days or weeks where God sort of hits you over the head with something? I’m talking figuratively, but I wouldn’t rule out physically either. (For real, remember the talking donkey? the burning bush? He has a way of getting his point across.)
In the past few weeks, I’ve come across these verses in about a dozen places…in my own devotions, friends’ facebook posts and blogs, in a magazine…
Then the Lord said to me, “Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.” ~Habakkuk 2:2-3
There are some words a person just doesn’t love. And by a person, I mean me. And by some words I mean this word: Slow.
And yet, “slow” isn’t quite so bad when it’s followed by “surely” and “not be delayed.”
Of course, we have to consider the context of these verses. God is speaking about a specific vision. However, the God talking in these verses is the same God who has a plan for each of our lives. And the same God who promised to fulfill the vision He gave to Habakkuk is the same God who promises all over the Bible to finish what He’s started in each of us.
The individual things God has for each of us – whether we’re talking wisdom, maturity, big dreams or small – they’re going to happen. And they’re going to happen when He wants them to happen. Not too early. Definitely not too late. And most likely, much of it will happen gradually…maybe even, gulp, slowly.
Like becoming wise.
May not be a tomorrow thing. May not be a 35 thing. But it’s an “in process” thing. And if we (okay, I) can just cling to the truth of God’s overall awesomeness, then that whole “slow” thing, that whole “I can’t make myself be and accomplish all I want all on my time, all on my own” thing doesn’t seem quite so bad.
In other words, hang up your cape for awhile Type A side. In its place: Perseverance. Patience. Trust.
How about you? Are there things you’re reaching for, whether it’s something intangible like wisdom or a specific dream or goal, and do you ever find yourself antsy for progress? What helps you keep your focus on God’s timeline?
Comments 2
Well, I’m in trouble, because I am 35! However, I’d like that cake for my 36th birthday. We love Dave Ramsey, and yes, yes he will tell you to stop drinking diet Coke with lime…
I get antsy and the only thing that calms me down is cranking up some awesome praise music, getting alone with God and letting Him remind me that He has my best interest at heart, He loves me, wants good things for me, and waiting is part of it. I walk away with a lighter step and a sweet peace. It usually lasts about an hour. LOL
Hehe, I know exactly what you mean, Jessica. I try to have quiet time every morning and it’s such a perfect way to start the day – peaceful, content, carefree. But inevitably, two hours later I’m at work feeling like my life is falling apart ’cause I can’t get an Excel spreadsheet to do what I want! 🙂
And…see, that’s exactly why I can’t do Financial Peace University. I hear it’s awesome, I’m just not ready to sacrifice my pop addiction!