Traffic Lights

If any of you are familiar with the Gary Smalley Temperament Test, I'm a Lion-Beaver, or Beaver-Lion (depending on the day...).  I like to make decisions quickly and orderly, if they seem logical enough, and sometimes have a hard time waiting and thinking through all of the pros and cons.  If it works, I really don't want to wait around to see if something better comes along.

A friend of mine describes himself as a "red-light person".  His thought is that the best way to live life is to go until God stops you with a "red light".  Naturally, I think this is a great idea.

Lately, God has been teaching me much about waiting.  Though contrary to our culture, waiting is biblical.  I think of David and how he was anointed as a young boy, but had to wait several years and endure several trials before he recieved what was promised to him.  There's also the Jews.  Messiah was promised to them thousands of years before he came.  Even then, those who knew he was Messiah had to wait three days after he was crucified, trusting that God would finish what he had promised.

Then again, I think you can do too much waiting.  I think God calls us to big things and a brave lifestyle, not fearful baby steps.

Talking to another friend today, I had a picture of a traffic light in my head.  She was describing to me how she has trouble being patient and waiting to hear God's thoughts about decisions in her life.  I thought of how often I feel like I'm barreling through the intersections of life, not stopping to see what color the traffic light is.

Most of all, God wants us to seek his face.  He wants us to stop and look at the traffic light before we head into the intersection, but, by all means, go if the light is green!