Stuck in traffic

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I was stuck in traffic the other day.  A 12-mile round trip to pick up Madeleine (my daughter), that should have taken 60 minutes, took 2 hours.  It was frustrating to say the least, mainly because it was of my own doing.
Traffic seemed pretty bad, so I decided to take a different route.  Big mistake.  Traffic was bad everywhere, so I basically sat in a line of cars on a route which can politely be described as the very long way round.
This isn’t the first time I took the long way round to get where I wanted to be because of my own impatience.  Life sometimes gives us all, on different occasions, ‘traffic’ that slows us down, for whatever reason.  This isn’t always a bad thing either.
Read Jeremiah 29:4-9.  Jeremiah sends this letter to the exiled Israelites taken away by Nebuchadnezzar.  There were some ‘prophets’ proclaiming that God will bring them back to Israel soon.  God says no, that’s not right.  Plant trees.  Build houses.  Settle down.  Start a family.  Let your grandchildren play in the trees you’ve planted.  Make a life where you are, for you’re going to be here for a while.
My immediate reaction would have been disappointment.  Why can’t I get where I want to be as quickly as possible?  Surely God is mighty to save and able to redeem?  What about His blessing?
Then I’m reminded that God is a God of love who wants the best for me.  Maybe the ‘traffic’ I’m frustrated with is exactly where I need to be at the moment.  Maybe there’ll be greater goodness that springs forth from being stuck than from plain sailing.  Maybe the blessing comes as a result of the wait.

This is an encouragement.  Being stuck isn’t always a sign of God’s displeasure.  The encouragement lies in the fact that He wants the best for us, regardless of our circumstances.  Maybe if we look at our circumstances through this truth (that God loves us and wants the best for us) we might be more content.  Read Jeremiah 29:11.  Being stuck in ‘traffic’ might just be the right thing at this point in time.  Will I miss out because of impatience, or will I hold on to His promises and love?

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