After too many weeks of snow and cold we had a minor thaw and a ribbon of grass appeared along sidewalks. Bosco (our beagle) could finally smell something familiar! He was so excited he tried to walk on top of a snow bank, which was still crusty. But underneath it was melting and he sunk in and couldn’t move. I laughed as I realized dogs get spring fever too. Waiting is still the name of the game. I thought of all the times we have similar moments when we are so ready for change that we jump the gun. Next to “no,” “not yet” is our next least favorite answer.
Watching Bosco try to jump into spring too soon conjured an image of how impatient Noah must have been on an ark full of smelly animals and the constant churning of his stomach as the boat tossed and rolled in wind and wave. When the storm subsided, the air seemed warmer and there was a hint of dry land in the air. He was ready for the journey to end! He was so excited he took a dove from its cage, throwing it into the air hoping it would find a place to roost and not return. His hopes were dashed when the bird came back. It was one of those not yet moments we all experience when ready for change that is not yet upon us.
Winter is like that for us. We are so ready for gardening, golf, and warm weather to return. We are so tired of waiting. Robins and squirrels are making more appearances and snow is slowly melting away. But it is still cold and much of what had melted has been replaced with a coating of ice. We have to accept “not yet” is the operative word, as it is all too often in our daily lives. There is much we endure that over time we lose patience and are filled with anxiety as we can’t believe we have to wait even longer.
In a year full of rough moments that clouded my life like a storm, I kept praying for God to change what I could not. But I continued to ride the ups and downs we all experience at times in our lives. I had been faithful in throwing prayers to God for what I wanted, like doves thrown into the wind. In a moment of inspiration, I changed what I threw toward God, asking instead for his gift of peace. As his peace became my daily gift it helped me remember I was surrounded by God more than any storm, and it allowed me (as it has often for you) to accept that “not yet” isn’t the same as “no.”
God’s presence and love are steady blessings. His gift of peace is what is unwrapped as we trust God more than complain about what we cannot control or change. Waiting is always easier when we know we are not waiting alone! Faith assures us God will change us with what we need rather than what we demand. Patience, like love, is the cure for many ills. And to sweeten every wait, the peace of God is the hand-holding that reminds us we are never alone.