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Waiting on the Lord
There are many lessons in the Bible about the value of waiting patiently on the Lord to supply our needs. I have been blessed by that counsel so many times—even recently, when I went to the Korean immigration office to apply for an alien registration card. Arriving about 1:00 p.m., I was surprised to find hundreds of others already waiting in line. One woman told me she had been there since 9:00 a.m. When I took a service number, I learned there were 400 people ahead of me, so I sat down and began studying the Bible Lesson for that week from the Christian Science Quarterly.
After a couple of hours, only 100 people had been waited on, including the woman who had come at 9:00 a.m. It looked as if it might be eight hours before my number would be called. I wasn’t even sure the office would be open that late and wondered if I should go home and come back another day.
There was quite a sense of weariness among those waiting for service. Seeing this, I began to pray. I affirmed that God’s loving presence was right there among us. I acknowledged that He is our Shepherd and that He is guiding every one of us, including the office workers. He meets everyone’s need at the right time and in the right way—not just their immigration needs, but all their needs. With heartfelt gratitude, I knew that no one could be left out of God’s watchful care.
Then it occurred to me to ask about the office hours. I didn’t want to stay if the office was to close before my number could be called. At one end of the service counter was a place where people came to pick up cards that had been issued. No one was in that line at all. As i listened for God’s guidance, it came to me to wait at that place so I could inquire about the office hours. But I waited 15 minutes or more as staff people scurried back and forth too fast for me to get their attention. It was tempting just to give up and leave.
But the thought came again: “Wait.” Finally a man came from the back office with some papers for the woman standing beside me. When I asked what time the office closed, instead of answering my question, he inquired why I was there. Then he took my application form and disappeared. When he returned, he handed me my passport and a receipt. Without my realizing it, or even asking, he had processed my application himself. No more waiting in line.
As I left, I thought, “Wow! I should have gone to that window in the first place.” But right on top of that came the thought, “No! It was right for me to be here and wait patiently with the others.” God had given me an opportunity to pray for my neighbors. Seeing their need for refreshment and uplift, I had helped supply it by consciously affirming God’s loving presence and care for everyone there. Then, once I finished that spiritual work, He had graciously opened the way for me to conclude my business without further delay.
—Patricia Wilson, Clearwater, Florida, US; and Seoul, South Korea