A Repair Shop Waiting Area.
Years ago I was a youth pastor in Kansas City and I had a commercial drivers license…yep…hard to believe. We were taking a group of students to a retreat weekend at a conference in Nebraska and as I was pulling into Omaha there was a strange sound from the engine. The bus didn’t stop, but there was a slight change in the power and a check engine light came on. I pulled up to the event, dropped off the students and leaders, and then parked the bus. I was sure when I would get back after the opening session it wouldn’t start…but to my surprise it started up just fine.
That night, I didn’t sleep because I was busy trying to diagnose what was the problem online. Now, I know I look like a mechanic…this may come as a shocker…but I am not.
The next morning, I assumed the same thing, that the bus wouldn’t start…but to my surprise it started up just fine again.
I dropped off the group again and went on a hunt to find a repair shop.
Now, I’m not sure if you have been in Omaha, Nebraska looking for a repair shop in the dead of winter on a Saturday morning that can work on a bus, but there aren’t a ton of options. Miraculously, I found one.
And the bus sputtered and died as I drove into the shop.
I then spent my entire Saturday in that repair shop waiting area. Just a few miles from my group.
That repair shop was not where I wanted to be.
I had a whole group of students at this retreat, worshiping, learning, playing and growing together…and I was by myself in that waiting area.
I wanted to be with the group.
I wanted to be a part of the fun.
I wanted to not be by myself.
We are spending a few weeks on Sunday mornings looking at scripture that we use or say a lot and doing a deep dive to see what is really going on. We are working to gain some context to these words so that we have a greater understanding.
Yesterday we looked at Jeremiah 29:11. If you weren’t there, I invite you to check out the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you stream.
In short, when we read the idea, that God knows the plans He has for us. We sometimes see that as all is good, no challenges, no obstacles, just up and to the right, smooth sailing here on out.
But that scripture comes after the sobering realization that the Hebrew people are going to be in Exile in Babylon for 70 years.
In the midst of that difficult and challenging season, they want to be home.
They want to be back in Judah.
They want to not be waiting in Babylon.
They want to not feel exiled.
And yet, that is where they were.
See, following after Jesus, trusting in God, living in step with the Spirit, isn’t always an easy road. We aren’t exempt from obstacles. But, if we can remember, whether it is 70 years in Exile or 8 hours in a repair shop, God does not forget us. God does not forsake us. God still has plans for us.
We all are in a season of waiting. Waiting on a email or phone call. Waiting on a returned text. Waiting on a diagnosis or financial report. Waiting on a loved one or friend. Waiting for things to change or improve. We all are waiting…
What are we doing in the waiting?
Because God has plans for us. Plans to bring a peace that passes all understanding, plans for a future, and plans of hope.
In the waiting, we can count our blessings, invest deeply where we are, proclaim good news in word and action, and pray for where we are and where we hope to be. It turns out, when we dig deep, even if it isn’t where we want to be, we can find beauty and blessings.
C.S. Lewis once said that,
“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. If that is so, I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or be unthankful for, these earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for the something else of which they are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage. I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death…”
We are not called to mail it in, or sit and watching idly by on the sidelines waiting for our turn to move on to glory. We are called to care for what is in front of us, to live out the Kingdom here. We have a restlessness that will never be satisfied this side of life, so until we cross that threshold, till he returns or calls us home, let us work tirelessly for God’s Kingdom to come and God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
St. Augustine, one of the early church fathers once said,
“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”
We will never be truly satisfied on the shores of Babylon, in the foreign country that is not our own, or in the lobby of the repair shop. We will only find rest in the place where we belong, we will only find comfort in our Creator. And miraculously, we can find our creator in Babylon, in a repair shop, and in the waiting. So until we are home, we will work to transform where we are. That discontentment, or that irritation should provoke us to not settle with where we are or how things are, but to work to transform the world around us to be more like the Kingdom of Heaven.
The scripture doesn’t just end with God knowing plans for us…but a beautiful calling.
Jeremiah 29:11-13
11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
It isn’t just being satisfied where we are, or waiting until the bus is fixed, or waiting for 70 years to pass, it’s calling upon God, coming to Jesus, and praying to our God and King. And note, those prayers don’t dissipate into an empty void. They are heard.
When we seek God, we will find God.
Why? Because God is right there with us.
With what can only be described as a miracle, they finished fixing the bus 8 hours later, I drove straight to the convention center, loaded the students back up, and headed home.
My entire time was not what I wanted.
With a bit of time and wisdom, we start to realize, things won’t always go our way. We may miss things that we are so excited about, things will inevitably disappoint us…but God is still with us.
Are we still with God?
Can we find Jesus wherever we are, no matter our circumstance, or whatever our situation?
I hope you will join us as we continue to find rest in the one who made us, comfort in the one who guides us, faith, hope, and love in the one who laid his life down for us and community in the body who follows after our rabbi, savior, and friend.
A few quick announcements you need to know…
- We have a noon prayer hour every Tuesday at noon. We partner with our friends at 30A Prays for a guided prayer time. This week, I am excited that Branden Campbell (husband of Katie Campbell and preacher fill in when I’m out) will be leading the prayer time. Come and go as you need. It will be a great time.
- Bible studies are back this week. Our Men’s Study on Wednesday meets from 8am-9am. We’ll be in Exodus 5 this week. The Women’s Study on Wednesday meets 9:30am-10:30/11am. Sarah is at a prayer conference this week so I (Andrew) will be leading both studies. I know I’m no Sarah…but I’ll do my best.
- Our young adult/20’s and 30’s group meets on Thursday mornings 8am-9:15am. They are also studying Exodus. This week, we’ll be in Exodus 17.
- We are excited to share we have a new addition to our sermon podcast called “Chapel Study Notes”. If you haven’t check it out yet, it is a Bible Study Recap led by me and Sarah team teaching what we covered in the previous week’s Wednesday Bible Study. Even though Sarah won’t be here this week, we will still have an episode that will come out in about a week. We have two episodes up so far. The newest episode is accessible on Spotify here, Apple Podcast here, or wherever you stream.
- Parking around here can be a challenge, but we have a solution on Sunday mornings. There are several free options listed below, but we also have worked with the community here and Seaside is generously offering free parking for us for worship on Sunday mornings around the Lyceum on Smolian Circle. We have sent out this information in a variety of communications. If you haven’t gotten that information yet, will you please let us know and we’ll send you the passes. This is such a gift and a blessing to our community. If for some reason that area is full, here are a few other options.
- Free parking is available at Seaside/Watercolor Public Parking Lot on the west end of Seaside and east end of Watercolor just off of 30A. 20 Western Lake Dr, Santa Rosa Beach, FL. It is just a short walk away from the beach or The Chapel.
- On 30A there are some free spots on the Northside of the road and likely will have room early in the day.
- Seaside also offers a shuttle service that picks up on 331 near The Bay restaurant. For more info on the shuttle, click here.
- Of course walking, biking, riding with friends and family are all great options on Sunday if you can make those work.
- Please do not park in places that say “No Parking”, in front of people’s home, or in places that require a permit. We do not want you to get a ticket and we want to be great neighbors in our community.
- If you are out of town, under the weather, or just need to worship from home, you can watch our live-stream on our website, thechapelatseaside.com, on our Facebook page, Facebook.com/TheChapelAtSeaside and our Vimeo page, Vimeo.com/thechapelatseaside.
Other upcoming things.
- Thursday, September 19th – Third Thursday Event for our Next Gen Ministry. Grill out and games. 5:30-7pm. Contact [email protected]for more info.
- Sunday, October 6th – Beach Bonfire
- Sunday, October 20th – Chapel Lunch following worship
- Sunday, November 17th – Night of Worship led by Daniel Pratt and friends
Let us know if you have any questions and we look forward to seeing you this week as we all try to follow after Jesus together.
Blessings.
Andrew