How Much Longer?

Isaiah 55:8-9
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
     neither are your ways may ways," declares the LORD.
"As the heavens are higher than your ways,
     so are my ways higher than your ways
     and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Like some of you, I have a prayer that has been on my heart for years and I woke up this morning thinking, "How many more days am I going to have to pray this prayer? I don't know if I can take another day of being told, 'No, sorry. Not at this time'"

Sometimes I think that if I only knew how much longer I would have to wait, it would make the waiting easier. I recently had a friend once ask me how much longer it would be before our plans became a reality. I thought for a minute and calculated that it we would only have to wait 98 hours and 52 more minutes. My friend thought that I was kidding, but I was totally serious. For the next few days, we were able to remind each other of how much more time we would have to wait it out and with each tick of the clock our anticipation grew until finally time was up and we could enjoy our plans together.

Are you like me - you want to know how much time you're going to have to invest before you make a commitment? Even something as simple as mentally preparing for driving time. Just last week I needed to be across town and my drive time happen to be in the middle of rush hour. Knowing that during non peak driving time it would take me 45 minutes, I figured that I should add another 20 minutes in order to be on time. Sure enough, it worked out and I was totally cool with it because I had mentally prepared myself for the long and slow journey. But on the way home when it should have taken me 45 minutes - I was detoured due to unexpected road construction and it still took me more than an hour to get home. UGH! Not how I planned it!

I often feel like my life is like the above scenario. When I decide to take control of the situation - things usually get done on my time table. However, if I let God in control, then who knows what detours I'll end up taking and how long I'll have to wait until my prayers become a reality.

But there is one big speedbump to only letting myself in the driver's seat. I can only go as far as I can see and usually that route is fairly limited. But when I choose to let God take the steering wheel, the destination is guaranteed to be more adventurous than I could have ever dreamed up for myself.

So while I get down on my knees to pray today, again, I am choosing to abandon my plans and go with God - regardless of how long He takes because I know that once he finally answers this gal's prayer, it will be so much more than I could have possibly imagined for myself.