Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise Him.
—Psalm 28:6-7
Scattered? Pulled in every direction? Agenda set days in advance? Craving to just breathe? Today's society lives in the fast lane. At the touch of a button, things shift into motion... the snooze alarms, preset coffee makers, instant microwave breakfasts, automatic door openers, MP3 players loaded with thousands of songs (Remember the eight-track tape players? You waited at least four songs to hear your favorite!), DVRs for the televisions, and the
list goes on and on. This technology age opened the doors to a whole new world of conveniences, but also a whole new set of expectations.
In many ways, we've lost the ability to practice patience. Spending time with God has become more like the drive through lane at a fast-food restaurant. We quickly place our order, drive up to the window, pay the cashier, receive the food, and drive off. We even get frustrated if the line is too long! By the time we arrive at the window, our attitudes sometimes don't display appreciation, but annoyance.
Recently a friend joined me on a trip to Michigan where I was the speaker for a large retreat. She and I live in different towns in Texas, so we decided to meet at the airport in Grand Rapids. After renting a car and securing the destination on our GPS, we were on our way. Our excitement filled the car with laughter, conversation, and joy! My friend needed a little nourishment, so we pulled into a fast-food line to get her a hamburger and soft drink.
After placing the order, I drove up to the first window, paid for the food, and then proceeded to the next window to pick it up. Now, you must know this before I continue. She and I hadn’t stopped talking or laughing since we got in the car. So, without thinking, I just drove right past the second window. I was in the parking lot when my friend screamed, “Carla, you forgot my food!” Putting on the brakes, I looked in the rearview mirror and could see the fastfood worker frantically waving her arms and holding the bag out the window. I put the car in reverse, backed up, and accepted the bag from the woman who just rolled her eyes at me. Needless to say, my friend and I still laugh about the incident today!
Unfortunately, we are often careless with the way we treat God, although we want Him to answer our requests immediately, in our time, and on our schedule. If He makes us wait, we get frustrated, discontented, and displeased. We plead with Him on behalf of our immediate needs and then fail to grasp His response. At times when we pray, we are so busy with our own agendas we drive right past God as He is trying to hand us the answer.
Oh, how many times do we miss Jesus in the midst of our days? If only we would take the time to just breathe and refocus on Him. Developing moment-by-moment communication with our Savior inspires a living, walking, breathing relationship with Jesus.
We must ask ourselves these questions. What are we teaching our children and our grandchildren? Are we missing God's miracles for our families and ourselves? Is this fast-paced life developing self-centered individuals rather than God-centered people?
PRAYER CHALLENGE
Please re-read today’s verse—Psalm 28:6-7. Before reading, just breathe. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart to a fresh truth. Just breathe once again. Notice how many times God says, "I will..." What is He saying to you? Close your eyes and just breathe. God loves you. God calls you into righteousness. God is holding your hand. God is keeping you! Open your arms to the heavens and just breathe a sigh of humbleness to the Father who created and stretched out the heavens. Recognize Jesus in your everyday life. Relax for a moment and just breathe Him in. As oxygen is to the blood, so is the Holy Spirit to your spiritual walk.
