Watering camels.

Many of us today are in some form of limbo. Due to the economy, unemployment has noticably risen. Our family has been experiencing this very thing ourselves; what with my father losing his job this summer (and still looking for one). I have talked to many Christians who go through spiritual "dry spells" where they feel God has become "silent." This is another feeling of limbo for many of us. Of course, others(not just in my peer group) are still single. That is, they are single and are actively seeking to change that (some of us are fine being single, obviously).

In any case, there are many ways in which humans can find themselves...between things. We anticipate the conclusion of events which will give rise to the resolution of our doubts, fears, and healthy desires. I crave this resolution on several fronts. Sometimes my agitation arises from a desire to simply be able to judge myself based on a substantial past rather than an uncertain future. In other words, I wish I was older and didn't have to worry about what to do anymore. The obvious irony here is that most older people wish so badly that they could be young again and relive the risk and excitement of their past. Others of our elders wish, more specifically, to change their past. I can understand that, though the thought impresses even more the importance of my choices now.

...and the band plays on.

Author/speaker/guru Joshua Harris had some interesting things to say on this matter of anticipation (aka "limbo") in his book I Kissed Dating Goodbye. I recently began to re-read this book with some friends in my church and this point caught my eye. Harris reiterates the story of Rebecca in the Old Testament. The story involves a servant of a prominant hebrew entering a town to scout out a wife for the hebrew's son. I know this sounds like an unromantic way for the couple to get hitched, but I am not discussing the virtues of ancient hebraic customs. Lets just say that Rebecca (the chosen bride) was honored to be chosen and her life up to this point had been lived in anticipation of marriage. So, she was pretty pumped.

Now, Harris' point, and the point of my post, is not about the resolution (marriage in this case). The point of interest is in what Rebecca was doing before she was approached by the servant. At that moment, she was watering the camels. The implication which Harris makes is that Rebecca was fulfilling her duties as a single woman. She was not sitting around waiting for her groom to ride out of the hills and sweep her off her feet. She was being active. This view reinforces one of the major points in Harris' book: that God has a meaningful life in store for those who are still waiting for their wedding day. I believe the same principle goes for all of the many "wedding days" of which we are looking forward to.

If God has allowed a man to lose his job, and therefore his security, it is because God has other plans for that man. If a woman finds herself without a country or a home, it is because the experience will lead her to places and people which God has planned for. I believe God has countless ways of molding us into better people, but the Bible is clear that he does not do so unless we are actively seeking out his purpose (aka, we invite him in). When a person sits around wishing for good things to happen has chosen a dead end road. I believe the point of our Earth-experience is to embark on a journey to make good things happen--beginning with our invitation to God to be a part of it. The wisest will take a step further and realize that God himself has ideas for the story (as Donald Miller points out in his excellent book A Million Miles in a Thousand Days). Instead of trying to find our own way, our stories will be better if we follow the lead of the author (of life, incidentally). By engaging in meaningful life now we are better prepared to take on the "wedding day"--whatever that may be.

"We all have our camels to water" Harris says in his book. Congruently, I say do not worry so much about finishing: we have a lifetime of beginings to go through first.

Now, lets see if I can practice what I preach. :)