A Mother’s Patience
I am not a patient person, but life never seems to lack for opportunities to teach me more patience. When my first granddaughter was born, my daughter was living in North Carolina. Sarah called to tell me that she was labor which meant that I needed me to get there sooner than I had planned.
As I sat in the Fresno airport, it became more obvious by the minute that our plane was going to be late. After 45 minutes, a crowd was beginning to form around the unlucky attendant who got the duty of informing us that our plane was still in San Francisco. All I could think of was that I haven’t even boarded and I’m already running late AND MY DAUGHTER IS IN LABOR! Because I’m not a patient person, I was praying on my feet that I could practice what I preached and not express the frustration that I was feeling.
The poor girl from the airline who was handling the rabble asked me if I had checked luggage to North Carolina. “One piece I told her,” then I added, “but I don’t care if it gets there. My baby is having a baby. I just need to get there.”
Without looking at me, she stoically commented,
“I know,” while she continued to type on her computer.
It was all I could do NOT TO SAY, “Oh, I don’t think so. I don’t think you know that my baby is having a baby and needs her mama. Or that it took me all day to change my ticket to leave earlier than I had planned, and that my husband tried all evening to get me a rental car and I still don’t have one to get me from Charlotte to Fayetteville. And, look at you. What are you about a buck-ten. I don’t think you’ve had a child, much less a grand child!”
But God whispered, “Shut it!” So I did. Actually what I heard was, “Trust me.” Remember, I’m the impatient one. I would have told me to shut it. He just said, “Trust me.”
A few short minutes later, I heard my name called. That same girl motioned me over and whispered so that the rest of the anxious passengers would not hear, shoved a ticket in my hand and said, “Take this ticket and go right now to Gate 12. I’ve routed you through another airline. You’ll get there at the same time.” Then she smiled for the first time and said, “I hope you make it!”
And I thought, “What a sweet thing!” I am so glad I listened for once to the Lord, maintained my cool, and did not go off on this innocent girl who went out of her way to help me out. God told me to trust Him. He was on the job even when I couldn’t see it.
By the way, I made it to the birth with time to spare! That’s just how He works, isn’t it?