The old clich? always talks about the light at the end of the tunnel. In my mind these words always painted a picture where I am a child sitting in the train car with dad where I could see ahead. We are in an incredibly long tunnel and my anxious questions are always met with unending patience. Finally, it seems like weeks, there is a scream from someone nearby.
“Light, at the end of the tunnel!”
In life I find myself struggling with a lack of patience. Just like many around me, I want results now! I want to be satisfied. I want things to work right the first time. I want projects to go smoothly and tasks to be completed without injury and conflict. I want…the list goes on, and then on some more! Long tunnels are not an option! The elements should not get in the way. Rain, ice, peers who do not pull their loads, poor workmanship, and deadlines that are unrealistic should not touch our abilities to pull off miracles every day, regardless of the business we are in!
Yet life doesn’t work that way. The blunt reality of each morning is, if we have the courage to shake off yesterday’s baggage and look with clear eyes, that there are things that must be completed, steps that have to be taken, and processes that cannot be skipped for the “light” to appear at the end of the task. Even in John’s vision there was a series of steps that had to be followed. God doesn’t take shortcuts!
“When they’ve completed their witness…” (Revelation 11.7) Then the next step can follow.
As I reflect on the happenings of the day, the work in progress, I can see opportunities that are lying untended because I am too busy with my own agenda. Could it be that the Spirit is working on me to see the present through God’s eyes? What might happen if I focused on God’s deliverables, the relationships under my care, and the sequence of the Spirit’s leading?
The answer is “light”.
