Waiting on progress

If you've lived in my town, been to my house or even talked to me on the phone, you'll agree one thing is for certain. We have a lot of TRAINS! There's a major track by our house and another that intersects our town, right down the middle. On any given day I cross those tracks at least four times a day and often many more times than that. So you can imagine my delight (and every other citizen) when they put this sign up.

They were planning to put those trains up so we could cross under. Now I don't know whose brilliant idea that was - no one's giving me any credit. But it's only about 15 years LATE!

So, we've been watching the progress. Waiting as patiently as possible for the promised "reduced delays." The one thing I've learned in my 38 eight short rotations around the sun, The promise of reduced delays comes with major interruptions in the form of a construction project. To my surprise, this project has been well organized and non-eventful, at least when I'm crossing the tracks. Until today.

I made my first crossing, taking my daughter to school. On the return trip, I could see a traffic bottleneck that seemed to stem from the tracks. Being the savvy driver I am, I assessed the situation, saw that there was not a train at the crossing directly in front of me, but the gates were down. That led me to believe that we simply had a slow moving coal train, which my years of experience told me was coming from the north. So, I maneuvered my car into the lane that would allow me to cross at the crossing closest to the north point. Interestingly enough, the traffic was actually moving in that direction and I gave myself a little pat on the back for my extraordinary thinking ability. That is until I turned the corner, saw that the crossing guards were down on that crossing also, and traffic was moving simply because they were going around the guards.

One little known fact about me is that I have a commercial drivers license because at one time I drove a bus. The one thing they preach in bus driver training is that you never, never go around a crossing guard. Those guards are there for your protection and it's never ok to second guess them. So me and my thinking self had a choice to make. Do I follow the crowd or do I pull in behind the Budweiser truck and wait. As I approached, I could actually see the imagined coal train sitting on tracks about 400 yards north of our crossing. If he's waiting, I'm waiting!

And I waited. Me and the Budweiser truck. Just a couple of fools waiting. Traffic continued to cross. And we waited. For 20 minutes we waited (no I'm not kidding). Then I called my husband to see if he could get the cell phone number for the president of BNSF, because I figured by now everyone in power in our city, county and state had been called, but maybe the leadership of the railroad was unaware that we - the Budweiser guy and me - were still waiting. My husband wasn't too helpful with getting the number but he did remind me of the sermon on Sunday asked me if this might not be a good time to take a Sabbath rest and invited Jesus to sit and wait with me and "Bud." So I did.

Shortly after that, the train started to blow it's whistle. I good sign that it's going to move. But it didn't move. Then I saw something very strange. A man walking on the tracks. Looking very carefully at each rail. Up and down, back and forth. Carefully inspecting them - especially in the area that we would be crossing. Then the train begins to slowly creep forward. So slow that the man is actually walking right in front of it. And we continue to wait.

As I sat there considering what I had seen, I thought how interesting it was. My overactive imagination began to create a scenario where there was the possibility that the tracks might have had some kind of defect that would've caused the coal train to derail - think of the interruption that would've caused....Anyway, as Jesus and I sat there, waiting for the train to creep by, I wondered how many times I'm in a similar place in my life spiritually.

Progress has been promised. I can even identify the construction taking place. Then for some unknown, unperceived reason my path is blocked and I have to wait. The temptation is strong to just go around. I can justify that logic so many ways. But the truth is, I don't know what dangers lurk in taking matters in my own hands. I have a choice. I can see God's sovereignty and his goodness in the trying time of waiting or I can convince myself that I know better and plow forward. What's interesting about that choice is that there have been times in the past when I've taken the "me" way with no apparent negative consequences. Which fools me into thinking that I can determine what's best in these times. But the truth is, if I'm not in agreement with God, I'm against him. It's that simple.

By this time - everyone had to wait, not just Jesus, "Bud" and me. And eventually the train cleared. But the crossing guards did not go up. We continued to wait and wonder. By that time I had only been at the crossing for 50 minutes.

Very shortly I could see a BNSF truck. Our side of the crossing gate came up - and we were on the move. I was stopped at the next light and the opposite lane was backed up beyond that point. There was a guy in the car just on the other side of the median. He was red faced, rubbing his head and hitting the steering wheel. Just after I noticed him, he puts both hands on the steering wheel and let that horn blow. He was definitely stuck. Couldn't go forward. Couldn't go back. Just had to sit and wait. Once again, I was reminded of myself and the choices I make when I don't have any control of the situation. Who says daily devotions have to be done sitting in a quiet place with your well marked Bible. Jesus was right there with me for the better part of an hour, showing me, quiet practically, how he makes a difference in my complicated life - everyday!

I've never been a big fan of the "waiting place" but I gained a new perspective today. I pray that all your waiting times be filled with peace because God is sovereign and good AND Jesus is there!