The Unfolding Way

Into this 78th birthday month, I carry with me a lesson learned about waiting on the Lord.  The word, "waiting," is an ugly word in our culture.  Nothing about us wants to wait.  We want what we want now and not later.  Hurrying is what we do best even if it is killing us.  When we run into that Biblical word that calls us to wait on the Lord, we pause, say ok, and give God five minutes.  Of course, this is not what the Word of God has in mind as it reveals a Word such as, "Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!"  (Psalm 27:14).   

The lesson I have learned about waiting on the Lord is often personally expressed through the image of unfolding.  It is an image taken from the ancient Celtic spiritual tradition.  When I discovered this ancient stream of spirituality, I began to understand that waiting on the Lord not only speaks of trust in Him, but also of a patience that gives the life ahead of us time to unfold and encircle us.  Instead of forcing our way into God's will, it is a better thing to let God's will come to us.   

This lesson has been slowly learned only after a life time of trying to get where I was going ahead of God.  While I confess it is not a way of life which is always easy to embrace, I have learned that a spirit of waiting for whatever God has planned to unfold before me provides a life where worrying about tomorrow is greatly diminished.  Faith and trust in God is not about what we know and can see, but is about understanding and accepting that life is largely lived in the dimension of the "not yet seen" which is constantly unfolding before us.