“God must be busy….”
Strong words rarely spoken. Not out loud anyway. If they are uttered, it is usually under our breath in a moment of exasperation. A moment of feeling invisible and unimportant. Overlooked.
Or worse.
Still, it’s a common thought when prayers seem to go unanswered. When tragedy strikes without warning, or the diagnosis comes with a dismal outlook. Or when Satan appears to be winning his quest to pull our loved ones closer to the path of destruction he so desires for them.
Somewhere in the back of our minds, we wonder, “Can God even hear my prayers? Maybe He is just too busy to handle this right now.”
The truth is that sometimes, He answers, and we hate it. They aren’t what we expected. Or maybe He takes too long before finally providing the clear guidance and direction we so desperately crave.
“He’s powerful enough to do whatever He wants,” we reason. But then when He doesn’t do what we want, when we want it, we consider ourselves slighted. Overlooked. Abandoned.
I once heard Jon Acuff, author of the book Quitter, put it like this. “We think that if God truly loved us, He would act on our behalf much faster.”
So, we continue to wrestle with God, accusing Him of keeping His distance, being preoccupied and not paying enough attention. As if He may have overlooked some of the important details of our lives while He was busy supervising the rest of His creation.
How can bad things happen under His loving watch?
We worry about where our country is heading. How bad do things have to get before He makes His presence known? How can He remain so silent when those who oppose Him are so loud? Where in the world is He?
The truth is that God is present, keenly aware, and knows where we are headed. He is never surprised by our struggles. He knows our trials, and is in the midst of them. He focuses on the eternal while we get lost in the temporary. We complain constantly about how hard this journey is, and how long it is taking.
But the key is to remain on the journey He set before us, even when it leads through valleys and uncertainty.
If this is the path that leads me into His arms, it will be worth it.
My own journeys have taught me this much about God.
He loves me enough to avoid shortcuts. He knows I listen more closely during the silence, when I take the time to seek His face above all others. The times I think He is too busy for me are also the times I come to know myself better. I grow, but only when I am hungry enough to search. He knows that when I dare wrestle with Him, it is because we have a relationship that is deep enough for me to ask the questions that burn within me. Face to face.
He loves me enough to lead me to Promised Lands I have yet to understand. He loves me enough to prepare me for whatever lies ahead, even if it hurts sometimes. He loves me enough to hold me close, even if I feel my world collapsing around me. He loves me enough to prove to me that I am in control of nothing, but that He will be there, regardless.
It’s true. God is incredibly busy.
Busy enough so that I can rest.
Because He is God.
And I am not.
Thank goodness.
