Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Religion Columnist
I remember hearing my parents and grandparents telling me stories about telegrams. The majority of the time, a telegram meant bad news. The same can be said about long-distance phone calls when I was a kid. Even as a teenager, a long distance call during the day usually meant bad news. Remember when you planned your long distance call and thought about what you wanted to say? You watched the clock, waiting for 7 p.m. to come so you could place your call. Even then you were limited on how long you talked so the call wouldn't be too expensive. Most of the time we simply relied on letters for our news.
Waiting wasn't that much of a problem for most people in those days, with the exception of the majority of fathers who expected everyone in the car when he was ready to go. Of course it was entirely different if you had to wait on him. "Hurry up and wait"my dad was fond of saying when things didn't happen when he wanted. It was sometimes hard when he was left waiting because we knew we would be on the receiving end of his anger.
All week I sought a message from the Lord for this week's column. All week long, I heard one word: wait. Over 154 times, the word appears in the Bible for all types of reasons. In Psalm 27:14 we read,"Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait I say, on the LORD". I learned a long time ago not to question the Lord when I found myself at a loss for words. He knows that I desperately seek a message from Him, but it is in His time not mine.
In a world of instant everything, we forget what life was once like. Gone are the days when it took hours to prepare a meal from scratch. If you were having fried chicken, you had to include the time it took to catch and dress the bird before you even started preparing the rest of the meal. Now, in less than 30 minutes, dinner is on the table or the family goes out to eat.
Travel is faster than it once was. Instead of taking nine hours to drive to Amarillo, it now takes less than two. Our modes of travel today makes the world seem smaller and more accessible than it once was. Even while I was writing this, we were on a short trip and the miles seemed to go faster than writing on the tablet. Just another example of how spoiled we are by modern technology.
Back to the whole point of this article, we should never let our world interfere with the times the Lord is trying to teach us. Here I am Lord, waiting on you and your perfect timing. Please help me to keep myself out of the way so I can learn from You. "And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the Lord your God". (Joshua 3:9). There are many ways to hear from the Lord, through reading your Bible, listening to a sermon or Bible Study, through words from others, and through the still, small voice speaking to your heart. I am waiting. Are you waiting to hear the Lord's message to you?
Debra Whittington is a longtime resident of Tucumcari. Contact her at:
