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| http://www.reallifeanswers.org/2011/11/27/ marshmallow-woes-and-willpower/ |
So, I kinda feel like the little kid in the famous marshmallow
experiment. The child is given one
marshmallow, and told that they may either eat that one marshmallow right now,
or wait just 15 minutes and revive a second marshmallow. So the child sits on both hands, rocks back
and forth, looks everywhere except the marshmallow, and in some cases, even
smells the marshmallow.
Often, they cave
in and eat it having lost all self-control in the matter. Some children made it to the end of the 15
minutes and were rewarded with the promised second marshmallow.
I’m like those kids.
I have a lot to learn about patience.
I know how dangerous it is to admit that, but it is true. But I’m not alone. There are others who are told “Just wait a
little longer and you’ll receive the promise I gave you!” Abraham was one of these. In Genesis 12:1-3, he was promised so much more than the great
amount of possessions he currently owned.
He waited until he was very old, and sure enough, he reaped the
reward.
And what of David?
God told him 'I do not like how Saul ignores me although I made him king
over My people, so I am giving his whole kingdom to you.' But what happened the very next day? David was out again with the sheep for a
while longer. When a war finally did
come up, he was left at home while his promised kingdom was led still by
Saul. After he came in and saved the
army by defeating the undefeatable Goliath, he sat in the presence of the king
who remained on the throne promised to David.
He fought battles, became a war hero, and was hunted by the king and
chased by his own kingdom. And still he
waited. He had dozens of chances to
seize control of the throne, yet he waited for God’s timing. 20 years he waited. 20 years is a long time to wait for a
promise. Did God forget? Or did he change his mind? What’s wrong?
Nothing. God used the sheep, the
battles, the leadership, the exile and the patience and faith in God to prepare
David for the ruling of a nation precious to God. 1 Samuel 16:1, 13, 21, 17:45-47, and so on.
I don’t like waiting.
I’d have been one of the children who took the first marshmallow and
been done with it. I know where I need
to be though; waiting. Waiting is
training. Just as I still need lessons
in being still in my quiet time with God, I need to step back and let him move
in my life now lest I open my eyes and start walking by sight again.
Waiting has a lot of little pit stops along the way. This is part of being patient. Last week I had the opportunity to be a counselor at
Camp Wilder, a camp for Jr. high students.
I have been a counselor before for kids at our denomination’s church
camp at Ludlow Falls, but never with kids I did not know, and other counselors whom
I had, for the most part, never met. But what a thing it is to be right in the middle of a God movement! You would be a fool to walk into a setting
where you are allegedly a leader helping others to grow and NOT think that you
would learned every bit and more of what your students were learning. Wow God.
Ok, I’ll wait. You lead and I’ll
follow. That’s how it works right? Maybe at some point I’ll finally get this
down. 