Delays (Part 3) and THE AYE-AYE

I love this determined little animal found in Madagascar! The Aye-Aye is a relative of the lemur, but has an amazing distinctive feature about him that sets him apart from the lemur: he has a long middle finger with a very sharp claw. The nocturnal Aye-Aye will sleep all day hidden in a sphere-like nest so that he can stay up all night "tapping." He taps on trees and listens for wood-boring insects behind the bark because his ears are incredibly sensitive. He taps, listens, and waits. When he decides that he has located one of these insects, he digs him out with the same middle finger. Lots of work, yes, but very worth it! Although he loves digging out coconut flesh and devouring the tasty fruit, these insects are his favorite!

Rehash on the last couple of blogs:

1. Delays never come at a good time.
2. Delays can appear suddenly.

NEW ONE! Delays make you appreciate things once you get them.

Our city (Ocala) is doing all kinds of construction on various roads, and some of them have been long-term. Anyone who attends our church/school and has to take this road named Baseline will understand the concept. EVERYONE has to take BASELINE if you live in a large segment of Ocala. It has been under construction not for days, weeks, months, but now for years. It can be frustrating and dangerous; people have incidents of "road rage" while driving certain stretches of that road. BUT everyone will agree with this: when the construction is done, it will be ONE nice highway.

Ecclesiastes 7:8, "Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit."

It is true! The end of things are wonderful! We love reaching the end of a marathon, pulling a beautifully-cooked roast out of the oven, or finishing a well-written book. There is satisfaction in completing a project that has taken months but the time spent with family was worth it.

But what about those pesky times where there is a delay? Even though you know the outcome will be wonderful eventually, it is inconvenient and aggravating. This is what I encountered this morning on my way to my Saturday job. Signs warned me that there was a lane merge ahead, and the light, Saturday morning traffic began to slow up as two lanes merged into one. The anxiety feelings hit me as I began to wonder WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE SO IMPORTANT for them to merge lanes at a very inconvenient spot? (There is my impatience again.) As we all traveled in one lane for about 1/4 of a mile, the "issue" finally appeared. The city was kindly fixing a pot hole to save us from accidents, causing further delays. I sighed, felt regret for being aggravated, and then smiled because I knew the Lord was teaching me again to be patient.

I learned 3 things this morning:

1. The delay was short this time, and I should thank God for the short interruptions in life. Maybe if we thanked Him more, He wouldn't have to allow things to enter our lives to remind us to love Him.

2. This delay was a good thing, and I'm grateful that the street crews scrunched us for a while in order to make a rough spot better. I need to thank God for the little interruptions in my life.
"Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day."

3. When I came out of the lane merge and traffic started to move again, I was thankful for the smooth driving and pleasant travel. We all know that there are times when life is too much to handle (like in my Delays Part 2). The tearful moments when the breath has been sucked right out of us. Thank Him for the peace you have right now because we know the potholes aren't always found before we hit them.

Some of you may be in a BIG delay or the dreaded DETOUR in your life right now. Share what works for you practically, and if you are a Christian, encourage us with what God has done for you. Write me: brasil_girl37@yahoo.com. We can learn from you.

Have a good day!
Stephanie