Do you remember that old story about the Tortoise and the Hare?

I was feeling for the Hare today.

Seriously.

It’s not like he procrastinated.

He was first outta the gate.

The Tortoise was the procrastinator.

He took his dusty, old time and at the end of the race he’s the one who gets the gold medal.

Pshaw – No way would that fly in the Olympics.

That turtle would be booed outta there for the most boring race ever.

Granted, the bunny would be screened for blood doping or steroids, either way I guess in the real world, neither approach wins.

Course, if we had a genetically altered Torto-Hare then we’d be talking.  We’d have speed AND longevity.

Can you say unstoppable?

Don’t judge, I live in a house where there may not be anything cooler than Transformers and Star Wars.

My youngest has the nickname of Darth Baby.

She’s caused more lightsaber casualties in our house then I care to mention.  So yeah, I guess I was bound to end up here in my writing at some point.

But I was thinking about this whole tortoise/hare dynamic in relation to building steadily.

You know the old adage that “slow and steady wins the race”, I mostly agree. . . . unless we die of boredom along the way.

So I’ve been pondering, how do you get and carry a long term vision without running ahead of God or losing interest along the journey?

And then God answered: “Write this.
    Write what you see.
Write it out in big block letters
    so that it can be read on the run.
This vision-message is a witness
    pointing to what’s coming.
It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait!
    And it doesn’t lie.
If it seems slow in coming, wait.
    It’s on its way. It will come right on time.

Habakkuk 2:2-3 (The Message)

 

We wait for God’s vision.

Groan.

Wait?  Really?

See, I told you both the tortoise and the hare had it all wrong.

We’ve heard really good things about reading our Bible and praying, and if you’re super spiritual – the f word.

You know, fasting.

But that’s all very one sided.  There are two people in this relationship.  God wants to be heard too.  And the other half of prayer is listening.

So, how does one wait for the vision.

I recommend with a cup of coffee.

Highly recommend that part.

But it also helps to be somewhere quiet, where we can focus on what God is whispering back to us.

I think maybe more than anything else, we have to learn to quiet our minds.  We run at a million miles an hour most days and it is ridiculously difficult to hear anyone through our own head noise – let alone a God who prefers to whisper.

So if you’re finding yourself frustrated at the pace of life or lack thereof, take some time to check with your Coach.

Maybe you’re running when it’s time to take some time to chill out with God.

It’s in that place that he refreshes us, reminds us of his love, and loves to just talk to us.

I promise, taking time to listen to God is never a waste.

And what better way is there to spend time waiting on a vision to be built through our actions than by hanging out with God.

He has so much that he wants to offer to us, so many things his heart is burning to say.

Shhhhhh. . .

What have you been aching to hear from him?

What have you been avoiding by staying buried in piles of busy-ness?

What have you been afraid of doing because of what people might think of you?

He’s got an answer for you.

A really good one too.

I know he’s felt far away in the last couple of months, but he’s right beside you – waiting for you to clear time in your schedule and mind for him.

He’s not like you and me, hollering up stairs and around corners.  He’s a face to face kinda guy.

So don’t forget in all of your building to steal away time for your heart.

And his.

 

He loves you.

Always has.

Always will.

 

Shhhhh. . . .

 

 

Photo Credit: “Woman” by Republica permission through C.C. by 2.0