3 When you’ve (almost) had enough

Have you ever done something tedious? Repetitive. Monotonous. Same – over and over and over again… ha – gotcha. We often get a “je ne sais quio” feeling when we start something new and master it, that’s ingenuity, creativity, fortitude and determination. But that quickly fades when we are not allowed to move on after we feel we are done.

After that – we cultivate patience. Patience is a gem that’s hard to mine. For me, it’s very elusive, but becoming a wee bit more common as I age. How about you, if you were honest?

The Trudge

I live in a lush area when summertime brings about green grass, the kind that people on TV pay for (but we don’t). Where the grass is cool and soft under bare feet.

I can’t imagine going to war in sandals, in desert conditions where that was the best footwear available. I can barely handle arch and ankle support shoes that are stretch knit that breathable yet sturdy. Ok, in real life, I wear dollar-store “crocs” of primary colors…

I’m trying to say that as Josh and his warriors walked around Jericho once a day, I began to wonder if ANY warrior was feeling a little put out by the process. They certainty weren’t walking in my crocs on lush grass.

Here’s the back story

As the Israelites were living in the desert for 40 years, there were a lot of “odd” things that went on. People were killed on the spot because they made an golden statue of a cow and called it God (Ex. 32) Leprosy was given to the rebellious and taken away after the righteous prayed, but the rebellious soul still had to sit in their leprously state for 7 days to think about what they’d done before healing took place (Num. 12:1-15), had their inheritance cancelled due to complaints (Num. 14:20-24), and there was an earthquake that swallowed up ONLY those who were disobedient (Num. 16).

The warriors in Josh’s time were the children watching these rebellious acts and the consequences. Perhaps that edged them away from any rebellious thoughts they may have had. But humanity is still humanity, no matter what people see.

Back to the Trudge

Perhaps they were all in one heart and mind, but also, just as possible there was one guy that wondered about it. I wouldn’t go as far to say he doubted, but perhaps he wondered. He was committed enough to keep his feet marching, so it didn’t hamper his action. That was the key. His heart may have fluttered but his feet stayed true.

In the Process

Sometimes I’m like the guy, on day 4, trudging along in my sandals, wondering if I’m really walking in the right direction. The promise has been stated, but the deliverance certainly hasn’t shown up. I know God’s not a liar, so it’s not Him that’s the problem.

I just make the assumption that it’s me. I heard wrong, I misunderstood. I am the weak link in this chain.

Perhaps it’s not either

Maybe, just maybe, God’s NOT wrong and I’m NOT the failure. Maybe there’s more going on than meets the eye.

Maybe your lush green grass has been torn away from you. Maybe you’re stuck in a place where the promise has been obscured by silence and everything seems to be going wrong.

Just because there’s a snow storm doesn’t mean that we don’t have grass somewhere underneath that will come to life again in just a few sleeps.

Its in the waiting that most people fail. (check out Saul’s colossal failure because he was impatient with Samuel the prophet. Saul lost a chance for his descendants to rule forever, his own kingship and the connection with the Holy Spirit all in one act of full fledged heart-treason. 1Sam 13, 15)

Be patient for patience to grow. There is no short-cut on day 25 when you’re doing a 40 day fast. There is no fast-tracking anything. Patience is always the long way around the mountain. Don’t despise the mountain, just get you hiking sandals on and walk.

Wait well.