Tuesday, March 6, 2012

The Grace of a Delay


Sometimes we determine for ourselves a trajectory (or plan) that sounds great on paper.  It may even be affirmed by others.  They may, of course, be legitimate encouragers.  But they may also be merely trying to please us.  Or they may have other motives.  It is important to learn from our experiences that not everybody who has an opinion about what we are considering as a "plan" is an appropriate source of counsel.  Their input may be rooted, at best, in narrow vision; or in worst cases, they may in some way NOT want us to flourish.  

This time of reflection is not meant to move you into a judgmental mode where you criticize the "other" for the way you were shut down.  It is a time for you to understand where and how God was with you in the midst of the challenge.  Take a deeper look.  Barriers to our plans can be frustrating, like detours, road closed signs and speed bumps in a parking lot.  Sometimes they are nothing more than an inconvenience or the law's effort at traffic control  But sometimes they do, literally, save us from a possible disaster, had we been able to keep moving on our preferred road at our self determined pace.  

Read, Reflect and Write.

Was the interruption in your plans like a brick wall?  or a stop sign? a caution sign? or a speed bump?  Did it enable you to traverse a scenic or enlightening byway?  Now as you look at the delay, where can you see God's work in it? 

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