Naked At The Opera

        

              Did I get your attention with that one? This was what I told my friend the other day. That she didn't want to show up unprepared for the opera. No she doesn't actually sing or even frequent the opera that I know of. It was a picture I was painting with words for her. It really made me think too. Here is where the conversation begins.
             Have you ever been in a holding pattern on a plane? I was a flight attendant in my younger days. I sat on planes in many holding patterns for many different reasons. Weather, plane traffic, power outages, you name it. I hated it. An unplanned delay in my day (or night). So frustrating because it was nothing that I had or had not done. Stuck sitting there. Now, there are good reasons to wait in the pattern. What if we had tried to land in some of that weather? We could have crashed. Not a good outcome.
               Many times in life God puts us in a holding pattern. Now talk about frustrating. We have our plans and something falls through. Or doesn't happen the way we thought they should. When it is really bad, is when we feel like we put ourselves in the situation that has us stuck in the pattern because of a prompting by God. Why if we are doing as we feel led, does He make us wait? My dear friend was in that situation. My husband and I had been in that situation. And I a sure that at some point in time you have or will have been in that situation. Now I'm not talking a few week pattern. I'm talking months, even a couple of years. Again, why? Why would He put us in this situation to have us, sit there? Waiting?
                I hate to tell you God NEVER does things by accident, or forgets about us. I will tell you, I was starting to really believe that He had forgotten us. Why would he put us in the situation we were in to make us wait? He does all the time. Let me tell you the verse that came to mind every time I prayed and questioned HIS motives for leaving me where I was and not letting us move forward.
            "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10
                  I really have a hard time with this verse. First because being still is very hard for a mom of 4 kids. I mean when there is so much to be done, it is hard to be still. Even now, everyone is taking quiet time. Littles are asleep, Bigs are reading, even my husband is laying on the bed resting. Not me. Here I am writing. Obviously something I need to work on.
                   I firmly believe that when God puts us in a holding pattern it is either to wait on us to learn the lesson we are supposed to get from the situation we are in and/ or we are waiting for God to line everything up.
                   Here comes the opera. If you were the soprano in the opera each night, you know that you need to wait until many other things are done before you can go on stage to do your solo. First, tickets need to be sold. Cleaning people need to come and make sure everything is nice and clean. The lighting guys need to show up and check that each light works. You wouldn't want to be up there singing your heart out and be in the dark. Then there is the costume lady. What if she didn't come to do her job yet? Oh my, and you went out on stage before she had rechecked your stitches? You might have wardrobe malfunction. Not pretty when you are belting out the high note with your lungs straining. You would be standing in front of everyone naked. (Hence the title). Then of course there are the supporting people. What if when you showed up on stage the violins were out having a cigarette? All of them. And the tuba guy? Having a sandwich. Now what happens as you sing? Not as much as would happen with everyone in unison. An opera without all of the winds and strings, wouldn't be as pretty. As awesome.
               That is your holding pattern. God has us wait sometimes to get everyone where they need to be. You may be the soloist and you think this is your big debut. But, stop and think about the costume lady. This is her career. She wants to debut her best work as well. If you show up on stage with a faulty costume, it reflects badly on her. The tuba guy, this is the show his mother finally gets to come and see her son in the job of his life. The dream job he has worked so long and hard for.
               Life isn't all about you. Even though we are looking from our window, it is about all that goes into it. Have you thought of the peripheral people as well? There was a man tonight that was going to propose to his sweetheart at your concert and if you don't wait for the curtain to go up when the tickets say so, you have ruined his proposal. Your life affects other people. Even those you don't know. You need to wait on God and HIS plans for you. Because His are always better then we could ever dream of coming up with. Well, in the end.
              "I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
you. To prosper. That is never bad. To not harm. We all want that guarantee. And to give hope and a future? Wow. Meaning, I have a purpose and I am supposed to be here and doing this. HE knows the best for us. Just wait.
                  Besides, no offense but, no one wants to see your naked booty up on stage holding the high note for a count beyond measure.
                  Makes me squeamish thinking about it.