Waiting for Glue to Dry – The James Sequence

“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” James 5:7-8

I’m sure you’ve heard this before: Don’t pray for patience because the Lord will give you something to be patient about! Oh, brother! Like I need that! I wouldn’t believe this old wives’ tale if I were you. Being a patient person is what James is talking about in this verse and the ones that follow. He gives the example of a farmer who plants crops and then patiently waits while the rains come at the right time to bring the harvest.

It would be rather comical to see a farmer plant his crops of corn, grab a chair, and wait right next to the plants until the first sprout breaks through the ground. I can imagine him three weeks into the planting and he’s jumping up and down in the middle of the night out there in the field with his chair and flashlight! He just couldn’t wait until that first plant showed up! A rather ridiculous picture to imagine, but that’s a visual example of what James is saying. Be patient!

I’m not really patient when I’m waiting for glue to dry, which has become the one thing in my life that continually haunts me. There is always something broken at my house and no matter how much I try, I can’t wait for the super glue to dry before I let go. I have to see if it’s hard yet, so I take my hands off. Oops! Not yet! Let’s try that again. And again. Elmer’s glue is worse. I definitely can’t wait around for that stuff to get hard. Ugh! So when my grandkids want to make popsicle stick houses that need to be GLUED…I’m outta there! You’re on your own, guys!

God’s plan often means we have to spend our time in the waiting room of life. We can pray continually for something like a job opening, a future mate, or some special place we want to go, but God says, “No, wait.” Speaking for myself…I really, really don’t like waiting. Unfortunately, waiting is not one of my strengths. I have spent an enormous amount of time going back to fix something that I’ve rushed into. And that brings me to another point. If I would have been patient in the first place I wouldn’t have to repeat so many experiences just to get it right on the second or third or even fourth try.

So, Lord, how do I get the patience to wait for your plan? I know, I know…wait, You’ll tell me when You’re ready!