I’ve looked at the Amazon order tracker everyday since my order was confirmed, while being fully aware that deliveries are delayed because of the global pandemic. How irrational is that? It only took me 14 days to admit that I’m absolutely stricken with the need for instant gratification even when I know that somehow the order will eventually be fulfilled. 

Instant versus delayed gratification is not a new concept. Actually it is so ubiquitous that we often forget that it exists in our everyday lives. We want something, anything really, and we want it at the moment that we want it. So what happens when the thing that we want will take longer or would require more effort or would require for us to overcome a challenge? Does it mean that the thing that we want will never come? Does it mean that we should settle for what’s within our reach? 

Here’s the thing I’m not supposed to say but will say – We don’t know and we may never fully know. 

God promises us goodness and blessings throughout the entire Bible. And throughout the entire Bible we can read stories upon stories of men doubtful of His promises mixed in with characters/disciples exemplifying incredible faithfulness. Why is that? Some might say that the circumstances we are dealt with makes it feel impossible that His promises are coming. Others may wonder why God allows pain and heartache in our lives to begin with when He has unimaginable power to eliminate it.  

Here’s the other thing that I’m not supposed to say but will say – We don’t trust beyond what we conceive to be possible, ignoring that our view of the world is imperfect. 

Imagine losing your family, your financial wealth and contracting a disease that drastically changed your appearance. Then include losing everything else you might care about. How do you think you would feel? The Book of Job tells a story of a man who experienced exactly that, yet he didn’t lose faith in God. Although, I’ll admit that at some point in the story Job did question why God allowed this much misfortune. He questioned because Job is human. He is like one of us – only seeing the present devastation, relishing on the riches of the past, and feeling completely anxious of the future he doesn’t have control over. This may look like an extreme example, but in reality isn’t this what I had been doing by checking my Amazon order tracker every day? 

The package will come when it’s meant to come. God has the most sophisticated fulfillment and logistics system. We just don’t see how the supply chain is progressing. Our job is to make sure that we’re ready to receive the delivery when it does come. 

Always, 

K

P.S. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5