The Gold Station Wagon

  When I was a child my parents had a neighbor pick me up in the mornings to take me to school. They were pretty inconsistent in the time they would arrive so I had to be ready just in case they were early. Most often they were late, and when I had to wait, it felt like the waiting went on forever. The one thing that I didn’t want them to do was to wait on me. So I just had to be ready so I wouldn’t go through the embarrassment of hearing the horn blow, and then feel the atmosphere of annoyance in the car along the way. Or worst yet, watch them pull away and I miss my ride altogether. Regardless of when though. I saw it! That gold station wagon coming up the street.

  God sometimes gives us an indication that he’s going to do something and so we wait with anticipation for Him to pick us up. Now, I’m not sure if Jesus would drive a gold station wagon, but if He said He was coming, rest assured, He’s coming. We may stand at the door peeking out, lunch box in one hand, books in the other. Glancing back at the clock occasionally. The only thing though, He never gave us a time frame when He would be there. So we wait. But after a while we get complacent and start to get lazy in our waiting. We sleep in. Stop getting ready early and get to the door just when we think He’s going to show up. Wait a little bit, think He’s not coming, then go about our day.

  But what would happen if Jesus pulled up to pick us up and we weren’t ready because we didn’t expect Him at that time? He blew the horn a few times. Waited. And then figured we weren’t coming so He left. All we saw were tail lights driving away as we finally made it to the door, impervious to the fact that the horn was for us because we were not expecting it. I wonder how many times that has happened in my life. I missed Jesus because I gave up waiting. Thinking He had forgotten. But He was never late, but was making preparations and working out all the details. Then, when He came to pick me up I missed my ride. I gave up on His promise. Lord, help us not to ever miss our gold station wagons.

Blessings!
Elder Steve Smith