These things have a way of working out

A few years ago, I used to spend many mornings at a local health club jogging on a treadmill which overlooked a  fairly busy street.  In my boredom, I would watch, and sometimes even count, the cars go by.  As I observed the flow of traffic on this street, one aspect that surprised me was how often there would be a long, seemingly never-ending stream of cars that would pass by and then a few minutes later there would be a complete lull with absolutely no cars whatsoever.  In noticing this, I concluded that perhaps I should stop worrying so much whenever I needed to pull out onto a busy road.  Maybe I didn't have to forcefully push the pedal to the medal in a somewhat unsafe way in order to make it to my destination because maybe a perfect pause in traffic was just around the corner.  I theorized that if I objectively observed traffic elsewhere, I would find that those lulls in traffic didn't just occur on that one particular street in front of the health club.

Over time, I noticed that these pauses in traffic happen in most places, most of the time.  And when they don't, there is almost always a nice person who will let me in.  This seems like such a small, insignificant discovery, but it truly allowed me to become a more peaceful driver.  I realized there is no point in getting worked up or overwhelmed by the traffic because there had never been a time I wasn't able to make it to my destination because of the obstacles of traffic...I might make it there later, but I've always made it.

As I thought more about this discovery, I started pondering over whether this is true in life in general.

What about all of those times when I have become overwhelmed by the endless amounts of tasks I need to complete?  What about all of the times when I have felt frustrated because I can't seem to engage in important, meaningful activities because the "necessary", practical tasks block them or overrun them?

When I was thirty years old, I had four-year-old daughter, a three-year-old son, and a newborn baby boy.  I had never been so busy and so exhausted in my entire life.  Soon after I had my baby boy,  I was telling my mother that I earnestly desired to take some newborn pictures of him so that I could send them out as birth announcements to our friends and family before he was a teenager.  However, I just didn't see when I would ever possibly have the time to do this because the children and the housework seemed to be demanding every bit of my waking hours.  I remember my mother confidently saying, "Oh, you'll get some time to do that eventually.  These things have a way of working out."

I incredulously thought to myself that she obviously didn't know what she was talking about.  Any free time I did have was spent trying to catch up on much needed sleep.  I remember explaining to my husband that getting anything done around the house with three children under the age of four was like trying to walk through a creek bed full of molasses.  Progress came very slowly.

Maybe you are a pro at multi-tasking, and maybe you are able to decisively and rapidly accomplish necessary tasks.  Unfortunately, that's not me.  I am a dismal failure at multi-tasking or getting work done quickly, and I'm not as organized or as disciplined as I should be.  Still, I have observed that most people, no matter how great their capacity is for accomplishing tasks, experience this same feeling of having too much to do and not enough time to do what they really want to do.

Well, I'm here to tell you that my mother was right about "these-have-a-way-of-working-out".  I remember that glorious Saturday when my kind husband took our four-year-old and three-year-old to a birthday party for three hours!  It was a beautiful day with my newborn.  What a gift from God!  I put all kinds of cute outfits on our new baby and took pictures of him outside on a blanket, in his bouncy seat, and propped up on our bed.  It was a precious respite from the normal busyness of my life.  Yes, it was a much needed "lull in the traffic"!  

Every once in a while, my to-do list stacks up once again with crucial tasks that must be accomplished.  As I work to complete these tasks, I begin to feel distressed because I wonder if I will ever have time to pursue the activities, goals, projects that are weighing on my heart...things which might not be urgent but are still important in some way.  I have found it's beneficial to remember those things and keep hoping, watching, and praying for a "lull in traffic".  Eventually, if I am patient, I will reach our destination without having to force my way out there.  It will happen if it is meant to.  For some desires, it might not happen for a whole season of life, for others, it might happen tomorrow!  Overall, as my mother said, "These things have a way of working out."

Being busy with the God-given, ordinary tasks in our lives truly is a blessing.  This labor is good for our souls, and our continuous, consistent work is extremely important.  At the same time, when we recognize that God has given us a breather, we should enjoy it fully with absolute gratefulness!   As we trust in Him, He will give us the desires of our hearts because He loves us.  Just as He stopped the Jordan River from rushing by so that the Israelites could cross it, He can stop some of the busyness for a time to bring us the refreshment we need.  Just watch and pray.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."