DELAYED

Have you ever arrived at an airport all ready to go on your greatly anticipated trip just to see the word DELAYED after your flight number on the departure board? I hate when that happens!

Having worked for several airlines I have had to be the bearer of bad news to many a passenger over the years. There they are - all geared up to check in and head for their gate when I have to break the news that their flight isn't going to depart on time. That information can turn the nicest passenger into a monster! People do not like their plans to be delayed or changed. One customer-turned-monster threw her hot coffee and bagel across the counter at me. (that little tirade got her arrested by the way!) Then there are the few passengers that "get it". They seem to grasp the fact that the safety and security of the passengers is the priority and it is more important that they actually arrive at their destination in one piece than take off on time with issues that may escalate to major problems.

There are times that we have our timetable all mapped out and we are just ready to go and God writes DELAYED on our flight board. I have been there and I have played the part of the irritated passenger many times in my life. Stomping my feet and asking "WHY?" But I have learned to look for what God is doing during the delay because that is most likely a very very important part of the journey and where most of our growth happens.

I remember clearly the evening that Danny told me that he thought we needed to hold off on submitting our application for adoption to Great Wall China Adoption agency. My heart sunk. we had already been talking about it for a year and I had been dreaming about it for a while before that. I was SO ready. DELAYED. Why? In retrospect it's easy to see. Danielle my beautiful daughter was not even born yet. We had to wait because the daughter that God had for us was not ready. But in the meantime I learned and I grew. I learned about trusting my husband. I learned more about the plight of the orphans in China. That knowledge developed into a passion to help other families through the adoption process. Because of how long it took to go through the process of adoption and all the delays I began holding workshops to inform people about the process and helped set the wheels in motion for hundreds of families to adopt. If our adoption had gone through quickly I would have happily had my baby but wouldn't have sought out the opportunity to help others along the way. DELAYED yes, but well worth it.

I heard someone recount the story of Lazarus recently and it has stuck with me ever since. The story of Lazarus paints a beautiful picture of Jesus delaying an answer to a prayer in order to work in the lives of others along the way. Lazarus' healing was DELAYED but it was intentional in order to build faith in those surrounding the situation. It wasn't just about Lazarus. It was about Lazarus plus everyone that witnessed the miracle but it was ultimately about you and me.

According to Martha and Mary, Jesus showed up late. If they had had their way their brother would have never died, because Jesus would have showed up and healed him immediately. However, the miracle that Jesus performed and the timing he chose was deliberate and set in motion the chain of events that led to his death on the cross. The story in John 11 tells us that immediately after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead the Pharisees began plotting his death. It was that particular miracle that sent them over the edge and the timing of it was woven into our story of redemption. God knows that immediate answers are not always best. Lazarus had to die before he received his answer, but the result was an exponentially bigger display of God's power.

You may be experiencing a delay that you don't understand now but God's word promises us that if we believe we will see the glory of God. (John 11:40)

Your miracle may be right around the corner! Don't stop believing.