The Long Haul
The Lord is good to those who wait for him. – Lamentations 3:25 (NRSV)
Is the Lord also good to those who don’t wait? Or only to those who wait? What kind of waiting is holy and what kind is unholy?
You have heard the phrase, “kicking the can down the road”? Most church meetings join many staff meetings and business meetings in verbose examination of the can. What follows is a long discussion about calendarizing the next meeting. The can might be bridge repair or finding money for mission or people for the pews or renewable energy from somewhere. These cans often get kicked, then calendarized for “later.”
Indecision is a form of decision. It takes its toll. The charges add up. Indecision is costly. The bridge collapses while we were figuring out how to repair it.
Patience is an overrated value. When it comes to living well in the long haul of all the cans that have yet to find their can opener, the Lord is good for people who have stepped solutions. The Lord is good to those who act, who think, who manage, who get from A to B and then B to C. The way out of the long haul of indecision is decision. Rebuilding infrastructure is not an option. It is a necessity. Infrastructure includes childcare and elder care and care of the careful movers and shakers and decision makers who know the Lord is also good to them.
The Lord is good to those who don’t wait as well as those who do.
Prayer
Bless us with wise patience and wise impatience, good Lord.
About the AuthorDonna Schaper works nationally for Bricks and Mortals, a NYC-based organization that provides sustainable solutions for sacred sites. Her newest book is Remove the Pews: Spiritual Possibilities for Sacred Spaces, from The Pilgrim Press.