I Thought It Would Never End

Have you ever wanted something to be over? Like yesterday. The hours drag on and no light at the end of the tunnel. Life is hard, uncomfortable, even heart-wrenching-breaking. Yet, hours turn into days, weeks, months and you find yourself asking, “How long?”.

I remember our oldest child, as a preschooler, measuring time in “shows”. He was granted two 30 minute TV shows a day. He understood time existed, but didn’t yet know how to measure it. He used his known method of measure: a 30 minute “show” as his standard. He’d ask, “How many more shows till we get there?”. “How many more shows till we leave?” Even though, the tv was not on, he thought he understood how long 30 minutes was. We giggled to ourselves knowing, he didn’t actually know how long a TV show was, but it made sense to him at his stage of maturity: his chosen measuring stick.

You can imagine the groans and moans when our answer was 10 – 20 “shows”.  Gifted with energy; sitting still was not an attractive endeavor. Yet, he’d count down and check again to help acclimate to reality. 

I recall, as a girl, asking from the backseat, “How much longer till we get there?”: a universal question in vehicular travel. I’m sure, all of you, have your own version. The answer seemed to help us navigate and get through the situation. It seemed comforting to know time was passing, and we were making progress: an end point was coming.

 

Last Fall, I asked this question: How long? Lord?

How long till we get to the end point?

I was in a very trying time; seemed endless. Hours hung on, days slipped by. Time was all confused and made little sense; getting a grip on it, seemed hopeless. I had never navigated this place before and wasn’t at all sure, I’d move past it. Progress was hard to see. I tried desperately to find a measure of time that made sense.

I read about Job, Moses, The Children of Israel, all kinds of situations in the Bible trying to find an orientation. 

This was a hanging-on-by-a-fingernail situation, most days. I wasn’t at all sure, how long I could hold on. So, I asked God…. How long? When? “What standard of measure can I use?”. I wanted it over, but couldn’t see the end in sight.

In December, God gave me an answer, that truly satisfied my heart/soul.

I want to pass it on to you. I know, some of you may need this as much as I did.

“For God, a thousand years are as a passing day,

as brief as a few night hours.”

Ps 90:4

When this verse landed in my heart, fireworks went off!

My standard of time was off. I was using human measures; minutes, hours, days, etc. I needed to change perspective. Scripture tells us, our sufferings are temporary, but it felt all-consuming! I was NOT feeling the “temporary” part.

Eventually, we landed in the Christmas season. When I had clear thoughts, they were centered there. When I heard this verse, Psalm 90:4, here is what God whispered to my heart… a day is as a thousand years… 

“It has been

TWO DAYS SINCE JESUS WAS BORN,

according to my timeline!”

TWO DAYS!

TWO EARTHLY DAYS SINCE BETHLEHEM, ANGELS, SHEPHERDS,

BIRTH, WISE MEN, etc.!!!!

It revolutionized my heart. I thought of it all month-long, in relation to Christmas. I’m still thinking about it! Two Days since his first earthly cry. Two days since God came to earth. Two days since Messiah entered time with us.

Translation: Considering God’s timetable (I believe this is just an illustration we can wrap our minds around.), a few days, weeks, months, even years are seconds and minutes of time! That’s how the Bible can say they are temporary! 

I’d heard these verses and explanations all my life, but it wasn’t till these difficult moments, they released comfort, encouragement and hope. I knew God’s timetable was way different from ours. I thought about it many times.

But, God’s precious whispers and striving with me and His perfection at speaking to my most inward places, brought comfort and consolation amid very trying territory.

It turned my

“How Long?”

into

“It won’t be long!”….

Giving me hope, rest, and peace.

 

If you are struggling, I pray the same for you; hope, rest, peace,

and whispers from God!

It Won’t Be Long!

 

Two Days,

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