The bell over the coffee shop door jingled, and Jared glanced up to find his former youth pastor approaching his table. He rose, and the two men embraced, slapping each other’s backs.

          “Thanks for meeting with me, Sergio,” Jared said. “Do you want to grab something to drink while we talk?”

          “Si, mi amigo,” Sergio said, grinning. “Since you did the inviting, are you doing the buying?’

          “The budget is tight, but I think I can swing a couple bucks for you.”

          “Well, my advice is priceless, so I’d say you’re getting a real bargain.”

          Jared laughed, and the two men approached the counter to order their drinks. A few minutes later, they sat at the table, blowing on their coffee.

          “What’s on your mind?” Sergio asked. “Do you have your missionary assignment?”

          Jared slumped back against the chair. “No. I didn’t get the assignment I was hoping for.”

         “That’s disappointing, but you know that means it isn’t what God had for you. What are you hearing from Him?”

         “Wait.”

          “Anything else?”

           Jared sighed. “No, just wait. I know this is what He wants for me. He’s confirmed it over and over again. I don’t understand. I’ve completed all the training. Everyone else in my program is overseas by now. Every time I pray about it, I keep hearing the same thing. Wait. I’m about ready to hop on a plane and start my own missionary program. Waiting is not my strong suit.”

           Sergio studied Jared. “Weren’t you the guy who camped out overnight last year to get concert tickets?’

          “Yes…”

          “And when the youth group went to the amusement park, you stood on line for 2 hours to ride that new coaster.”

         “Yeah, but…”

         “You asked me for advice, and I’m going to give it to you, so just sit and drink your coffee for a few minutes.”

         Jared made a show of zipping his lip.

        “You stayed out all night for a concert that lasted a few hours. You waited two hours for a ride that lasted less than two minutes. Now, when it comes to your future of serving God and He’s clearly directed you, suddenly that’s not worth waiting for?” Sergio sipped from his cup, then set it on the table, cradling it in both hands. “When you don’t wait for God, there can be serious consequences.” He counted out on his fingers. “First, you’ll find yourself out of God’s will, a dangerous place to be. Second, you can miss out on blessings, and third, you could cause pain for yourself or for others. Hang on, I want to read something to you.” He pulled a Bible out of his backpack and flipped pages until he found what he was looking for.

         “1 Samuel 13,” Sergio said. “In this passage, the Israelites are in the midst of a war with the Philistines. Listen to what it says. I’ll start in verse 7.”

 Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.

“What have you done?” asked Samuel.

Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash,  I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”

“You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”

          Sergio closed the Bible and focused on Jared. “Samuel said he’d come in seven days. It was his job to make the offerings, and Saul knew it. It says as soon as he made the offerings, Samuel came. That means if he had simply waited a little longer, he would have been in God’s will. By taking matters into his own hands, he lost the blessing of God and the kingdom. Don’t make that mistake. Yes, waiting is hard, but trust God. He has a reason for it.”

            Jared stared at his cup for a moment, then met Sergio’s eyes. “You’re right. You’re always right. I could use some prayers for patience.”

            “You got it, amigo,” Sergio said. And right there in the coffee shop, he put his hand on Jared’s shoulder and prayed for his friend.

                                                                           ~*~                          

About a month later, Sergio stood in his back yard, throwing the ball for his dog, when his phone rang. “Jared. I’ve been meaning to check in with you. How is the patience experiment going? I’ve been praying for you.”

“Boy do I have a story for you.”

“Well, don’t keep me hanging. What happened?”

“About a week after we talked, I started feeling terrible. Lots of pain in my stomach. Turned out I had appendicitis. If I had gotten that first field assignment, I would have been in a remote area without medical care. If my appendix had burst, I probably would have died.”

Sergio grabbed the ball from Scout’s mouth and hurled it across the yard. “Sounds like God had a good reason for not giving you that first assignment.”

“I know, right? If I had tried to go on my own, I probably wouldn’t be here. It makes trusting God easy when He shows His plans so clearly.”

“You won’t always see God’s reasons,” Sergio said, “but those are the times you need to trust Him the most. I take it the waiting has been easier since?”

Jared laughed. “Yeah. I got out of the hospital and thanked God for sparing my life. I told Him I’d trust His timing. Once I got back on my feet again, I focused on what good I could do locally and left it in God’s hands. Then today I got the letter. I leave for my assignment in 3 weeks. This appointment is even better suited for me than the last one.”

“Of course it is,” Sergio said. “God had it all planned out from the beginning. All you needed to do was wait.”

Isaiah 40:31

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

            Dear Father, sometimes waiting is one of the hardest things we do. Please help us trust in Your timing. You created us, and You have a plan for us. Help us to remember the best way to have a fulfilled life is to live squarely in the center of your will. In Jesus’ name, Amen.