My mother taught me that it’s rude to be late, so I generally take punctuality very seriously, but every so often I find myself running behind. That’s what happened a couple of weeks ago when I realized I had 12 minutes to get to a meeting that was 18 minutes away (on a no-traffic day, which this wasn’t).
I had also missed lunch, so I was multitasking: driving, eating a granola bar, listening to an audio Bible CD, and checking my calendar (at a stoplight—after all, I wouldn’t want to be one of those dastardly distracted drivers who cause accidents). To compound the problem, I soon found myself stuck, along with several other cars, behind someone going all of 30 mph in a 40 mph zone. Argh!
As I was feeling increasingly squeezed, I heard the Bible reader say, “Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life” (John 6:47, NIV, emphasis mine). The Holy Spirit whispered, “Doesn’t ‘eternal,’ by definition, mean that you already have an infinite amount of time? So why are you hurrying as though the Father didn’t give you enough?”
I had to admit, it did sound pretty silly. Here I was, rushing around, throwing myself and everyone else into a tizzy, when God had already granted me unlimited time! It was almost as logical as the millionaire who quibbles with the impoverished street vendor in Tijuana, trying to get another dollar knocked off the already ridiculously low price of some statue or painting.
The problem is, I keep forgetting that I am the child of a wise and generous King who has assured me that I can “have no fear, little flock; for your Father has chosen to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32, REB). I suppose it boils down to the same problem Jesus saw in His disciples: “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40, NIV).
By the way, I was the first to arrive to that meeting. Everyone else was later than I was.