{"id":2366,"date":"2012-01-05T06:34:36","date_gmt":"2012-01-05T11:34:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/?p=2366"},"modified":"2012-01-05T06:38:36","modified_gmt":"2012-01-05T11:38:36","slug":"waiting-for-the-green-light","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/01\/waiting-for-the-green-light.html","title":{"rendered":"Waiting for the green light"},"content":{"rendered":"

I sometimes wonder how much time we spend waiting for a green traffic light.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>This is a phenomenon of the automobile age, though waiting has been the bane of human existence since our time spent in the Garden. \u00a0My first red light is only two blocks from our home. Years ago, when all of I-95 opened from Jacksonville to Brunswick, Georgia, those of us on the beach boasted that we could drive almost anywhere in the country with fewer than 10 stop lights.<\/p>\n

My husband used to designate the long, long lights we often encountered, “Pack your lunch lights.”<\/p>\n

I often spend this time praying for others. \u00a0Usually, I pray for my family. \u00a0Other times, my prayers are directed to the fellow travelers who are sitting and waiting with me.<\/p>\n

While it doesn’t keep me awake at night, I fret occasionally about the number of hours I “waste” at red lights. \u00a0More and more, I find myself plugging in a number on my cell phone during these times. \u00a0Therefore, I won’t be tempted to do this distracting dailing while I’m driving.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Yet, how many times am I found waiting for a green light in regard to questions in my life? \u00a0I may be stopped in my tracks by concerns that do keep awake at night. \u00a0In September, I was stopped with a sweaty brow and clamy palms by an IRS audit. \u00a0Frankly, I had no idea how to proceed. \u00a0A family member and some friends recommended that I hire a CPA. \u00a0I questioned whether that was the right thing to do until a good friend, also a business owner, told me that they had faced an audit this year and they had hired an experienced CPA. \u00a0This friend is a meticulous researcher. \u00a0She said this organization was the best in the nation and their prices were reasonable.<\/p>\n

Putting everything together, I realized that no one was saying, “Linda, don’t waste your money with a CPA. \u00a0Do it yourself!” \u00a0I called the CPA; and within a few weeks I realized that I would ‘ve been treading in some deep waters had I tried to do this by myself. \u00a0I was thankful that God sent people to me who guided me to make the right decision.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Red lights at the intersections of our highways are designed to bring order to chaotic traffic patterns. \u00a0I’m realizing that red lights in our lives may serve the same purpose. \u00a0God don’t desire to simply stop us from progressing. \u00a0He wants to help us proceed in an orderly–godly–way. \u00a0The New Testament talks about our lives being pruned. \u00a0Perhaps if this were written in today’s vinacular, Jesus would speak about being stopped by a red light, waiting for God to clean some of the chaos from our lives.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I sometimes wonder how much time we spend waiting for a green traffic light. This is a phenomenon of the automobile age, though waiting has been the bane of human existence since our time spent in the Garden. \u00a0My first red light is only two blocks from our home. Years ago, when all of I-95…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":387,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,20,40,287,61,49,263,4,17],"tags":[21,688,696,699,715,701,691,6,700,710],"class_list":["post-2366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity","category-church","category-faith","category-faiths","category-humor","category-inspiration","category-redemption","category-simple-truths","category-teaching","tag-christian","tag-christianity","tag-church","tag-faith","tag-hope","tag-inspiration","tag-inspirational","tag-simple-scriptural-truths","tag-spirituality","tag-stress"],"yoast_head":"\nWaiting for the green light - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/01\/waiting-for-the-green-light.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Waiting for the green light - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I sometimes wonder how much time we spend waiting for a green traffic light. 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