My Time On the Tarmac
Tuesday, July 26, 2022
“Abraham had to wait. Joseph had to wait. Moses had to wait. Esther had to wait. God does His deepest work in the waiting.” – Os Hillman
Last month, I flew to New Jersey to spend a few days with my mother. The flight from Orlando to Philadelphia went relatively smoothly, but the return flight was delayed several times at the gate… and then for another hour on the tarmac.
Fortunately, I wasn’t on a tight schedule and so, I just spent the extra time reading a book I had packed and napping off and on. No big deal, right?
But what about delays that extend into weeks, months, or even years? How do we respond to such interruptions in our well-orchestrated and tightly scheduled lives? Do we get angry and bitter? Do we lash out at God and others? Or do we accept our fate and trust in God’s sovereignty?
I imagine that Moses struggled with these same emotions while he spent 40 years on the backside of the desert. After all, he had gone from being raised in Pharaoh’s palace as a member of the royal family to being a lowly shepherd, wanted for murder.
Likewise, Joseph went from being his father’s favorite child to slavery and imprisonment. Betrayed by his brothers, falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife, and languishing in jail year after year had to take its toll. Maybe it did, but it also served to strengthen Joseph’s faith and resolve, preparing him for God’s ultimate calling on his life.
I must admit that I am a pretty impatient person and would probably have whined and complained incessantly if I had to endure the kind of waits that Moses and Joseph did. Fortunately, God knows that… which may be why he limited my time on the tarmac to one hour.
“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven…” Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NKJV)
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4 (NKJV)
- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President
