Wait and see

I was in over my head and it would not be easy to back out now. It was a relationship that should never have taken place, and I was in the thick of it. I thought we had similar beliefs--if he had any, they were not religious and scarcely spiritual. He expected me to stay home with babies while he worked. I was on my way to a doctorate and had no intention of staying home full time after all the effort to get such a degree. I did a zillion things in my spare time. He did one. It was a match that never matched. My conscience had smitten me and I decided to board a plane, fly to his home and put an end to the relationship.

It was with a very heavy heart that I sank into the airplane seat and strapped myself in. I hoped that I wouldn't give in to his persuasion, as he was quite good at keeping me on the line. I had prayed and worried about the whole thing. Lost in thought and barely holding back tears, I turned my head to the little oval window and stared outside onto the tarmac.

Just then, a heavyset woman came down the aisle, her skirt swishing against the arms of people seated on either side. Her face was wreathed in smiles, and she looked me squarely in the face. "Hello darlin'," she sang out. "You look like such a nice young lady. I'm so lucky to get to sit by you."
I smiled one of those smiles that was a cross between a determined look and kind patience. It stopped the lady dead in her tracks. She had been settling into her seat and she stopped shifting about, looking right at me. "Honey," she said in a voice that was full of warmth. "The Lord's gonna fix it. You wait and see."
There must have been something in my face that told this dear person that I was full of struggle inside. And she was compelled to tell me that everything would be all right. I could have thrown my arms around her and fallen weeping against her generous bosom. "The Lord's gonna fix it."

I don't remember much else about that flight or the woman, except that her words echoed in my head for the next three days whilst I ended the relationship that should never have started. The Lord did fix it.

When I was younger I used to be so worried about looking right and saying the polite things to people. What would they think of me if I were to say what I really thought? There were times when I did say what I thought and got into trouble. But rarely did I ever say the kinds of things that this woman had said to me that day: that God really does love you. That having things and being a jet setter is nothing compared to being able to read to your children at night in a humble, peaceful home. That there are worse things than dying: living a rat race, or living like you're waiting for some "big moment" to come but until then make do with a miserable existence. That being alive and connected to other people is what makes life worthwhile, not the prestige of a fantastic job that keeps you so busy that you can't spend time with your family.
So today, those who read this--I want you to know, that the Lord is going to fix whatever it is that you face. It may take time and you may feel like you can hardly hang on. But He is able to fix anything and support anyone. It might not come when you would like, but God's gonna fix it. You wait and see.