When I was a little kid, I had to take the school bus to school. It was challenging because we lived at the top of a hill with a very long driveway. We had a rough idea of when the bus would arrive each morning, but its exact time varied quite a bit. Sometimes we would hear the bus’s groaning diesel engine as it chugged down the road towards our driveway earlier than expected. My sister and I would grab our coats and school bags in a panic and race down the hill, hoping to catch the bus before the driver ran out of patience and lurched away. We’d worn a shortcut path down the steep side of the hill, swinging around trees and leaping boulders, trying to minimize the time required to reach the waiting bus. All we really had to do was get out from the trees at the base of the hill and onto the long driveway where the driver could at least see we were on our way. At that point we were confident that he would wait.
I’m guessing his job was a bit of a challenge in rural areas like ours. If he arrived at our driveway and there was no sign of us, I wonder how he decided how long to wait. The other kids who were already on the bus were probably groaning and whining and even starting to act a little crazy like school bus kids do. He didn’t want to strand us if we were on our way. But he also had a long route and his own day to get on with.
Today’s verse makes me think of God being like that school bus driver. He’s about to drive all His children to the new heaven and new earth mentioned in Revelation: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.” Rev. 21:1. He knows the current earth is going to be destroyed. He wants to make sure that everyone who wants to get on His bus makes it, so He waits.
The people already on the bus are getting antsy and impatient. They even get angry and wonder why God isn’t moving. They complain, “Come on! Let’s go already! I’m here, I’m ready!” They start to doubt that there really is a new heaven and new earth or that the current earth will be destroyed.
And yet God waits.
He is more patient than even my bus driver. And He cares more about His children. He loves us all so much. He doesn’t want to leave even one child behind. He knows the devastating consequences. So He waits.
Dear God,
Thank you so much for waiting for me when I was slow in coming. Your patience is beautiful. Forgive me for complaining about how long you are waiting for others. Show me how to be patient and gracious and teach me how to help other people find and board your waiting bus. I know there is plenty of room, and your timing will be perfect.
CamDevo 