Not long ago I visited the Empire State Building with a friend. The line looked short—just down the block and around the corner. Yet as we entered the building, we discovered the line of people stretching through the lobby, up the stairs, and into another room. Every new turn revealed more distance to go.
Attractions and theme parks carefully route their crowds to make the lines seem shorter. Yet disappointment can lurk “just around the bend.”
Sometimes life’s disappointments are much more severe. The job we hoped for doesn’t materialize; friends we counted on let us down; the romantic relationship we longed for fails to work out. But into these heartbreaks, God’s Word speaks a refreshing truth about our hope in Him. The apostle Paul wrote, “Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame [or disappoint us], because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-5).—James Banks
Thanks. I love this. I really do!
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Thank you for reading.
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You’re welcome
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Encouraging post! And really like how you incorporated the Romans verse.
So many delays and waits are true God appointments 😉
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And side note – some friends did a helicopter ride over Niagara Falls earlier this year – and before they did – they first checked to see how long the line was – the guy said “half an hour” so they said – “great” and then after paying he said “go over there and we will
Call you in 20 or 30 minutes” and so it went down a bit from the half hour
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But then the actual time was an hour or more – we all laughed because it felt a little deceptive – and we felt like the sales man knew if he told anyone 70 minutes – they would say no way
– and one girl in the party said she was glad he said the shorter time because she would have said forget it –
But then waiting the longer time was not a bother and she would have missed out…
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Thank you. I believe God is in all things. I love your Niagara Falls story. I have found myself in similar situations. I believe tourist attractions work closely with local restaurants and shops. I have often been told by a guide to go check out shops or have a bite to eat, and they will come get me when it’s my turn. They always do, and I always find myself thinking I would never have tried that dish or ventured into that shop otherwise.
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That restaurant example adds more to the point here….
😉
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It is so easy to aim for immediate gratification, that hit of dopamine which makes us feel ‘good’. Good things take time and a lot of hard work. Peace to you.
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Well said. Thank you for reading.
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