My Journey Toward A Trusting Heart | |
Surviving a LayoverI’m a destination person. For me, “getting there” is an unavoidable inconvenience. I also prefer to fly non-stop…its fast. I love to BE where I’m headed. But when non-stop isn’t an option, I have to make a connection. The problem here is that there might be a layover. I don’t like layovers. For those of us who are Destination People, the surprise layover can be so frustrating. What am I supposed to do with this time on my hands? I have places to BE, people to see…there is no time for wasting time sitting in an airport terminal WAITING. And, to make matters worse, it might be a LONG layover. HOURS. Oh my. How do other people react to a layover? Let’s consider what we might see: Some are yelling at the airline personnel at the gate counter. That’s pointless. Those poor souls have no control over it. And wouldn’t all of us rather be grounded if there’s a chance the airplane could go down because of something broken, or weather that would create hazardous conditions in the sky or on take-off or landing? Some others are reading. Either a book or a newspaper. Some are watching TV, doing some intense lip-reading, (you can’t actually “hear” the TV), or if they are lucky, reading the Closed Captioning. Others are talking on their cell phones; some are working on their laptop computer; others are napping. Or maybe they are eating. And if there are a few like my mom, they’ll make a new friend out of another delayed passenger! During a layover, everyone finds something to do, constructive or not. They are all trapped by circumstances they cannot change or control. I’ve experienced some layovers in life. Being a Destination Person, I do not really want any layovers in my life. I want to get on with it. Do what I was born to do, or what I feel called to do. What I am passionate about. But in the waiting time, I can experience some of the most amazing spiritual growth. It’s in the layover that God can renew my spirit, shed light on some dark places of my heart, feed me, teach me, give me rest. I think God plans for these layovers from time to time. He knows when I need it most. I’m learning to cooperate! Like the delayed passengers in the airport terminal, I have some choices: First, I can argue with God. That’s pointless…He is God. He alone knows what’s going on outside the gate area. Maybe there’s something His mercy is keeping from me – some pain I cannot see. I can read – spend more time in His Word. Maybe I’ll find a side of Him I have overlooked, or worse, ignored completely. And in addition, I can find great books (whether in print or on CD) that will nourish my soul and point me toward God’s character. There is much to be learned from the experience of others. I can also welcome some uplifting and inspiring television programs into my life. While there is much junk on TV today, there are also several “inspirational networks” dedicated to ministering to the lost and found alike! I have often been spoken to by a TV pastor. God knows where I am and how to find me. I can “phone a friend.” Layovers are often a great time to reconnect with friends – or better, my own family. In the busyness of my life, and the confusion of my heart, I can overlook those people closest and most dear to me. My marriage can suffer; my children can become little more than annoyances. And like “iron sharpening iron”, I need friends who can listen when I am despairing because I am in a holding pattern. Or, maybe, just maybe, that friend needs ME. You know, maybe this layover isn’t about ME at all! And quite possibly, there may be someone God brings into my life I would never have met if not for this “inconvenient” layover. I will have a new friend! And then, I need to take time to eat. Its critical I am committed to a local church, being fed from the Word on a weekly basis, as well as participating in corporate worship. And in finding a place to be spiritually fed, I will also see other areas of my life ministered to. I can jump into a community group, or an upcoming women’s event. My church offers regular opportunities to get plugged in. The writer of Hebrews tells us, “Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together…but exhort one another.” (Heb. 10:25) There is a purpose for assembling together in corporate worship and teaching and fellowship. I must not avoid it during the layover. Sometimes all I need is REST. A dear friend recently told me, “God moves through many but rests in few." I want God to REST in me. And I need to rest in Him. This layover can be a time for restoration. A time for a spring rain to drench my parched soul. Like an old B.J. Thomas song, “I need to be still and let God love me.” (permission to quote not secured) If your layover is self-imposed, out of a need for rest because of burn-out, then this is a very important time for you. There is no need to jump right into another mode of serving. Rather this is time to REST and recuperate and be restored by the Father. Instead of looking at my Life Layovers as a waste of precious time, I am learning to see them as Precious Time. It’s a time when God’s grace is poured lavishly on me, bringing me closer to Him, and preparing me for my destination. And who knows, He might change my plans altogether…I might end up in a place I never dreamed possible! And I can’t think of any place I’d rather be. © 2005 Kimberly R. Thomas Leave a Comment { Last Page } { Page 73 of 74 } { Next Page } |
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