Now that I travel out to Raleigh and Opal’s* town on Monday and then return to the city on Thursday, I have three hours of travel a week. When I first began thinking about this, I thought it would get old to wait for grand taxis and drive the same roads back and forth. It has only been six weeks, but I have begun to view this time as a gift.
Since returning to North Africa I’ve become aware that, in America, we do very little waiting when it comes to travel and public transportation. We know exactly when things are going to be leaving and don’t arrive any sooner than we need to. And if anything is delayed, you know about it from online sources and can adjust your schedule accordingly. Well, here it is a little different. You arrive at the taxi stand and there need to be six people to fill a grand taxi before it leaves. You could be the fifth or sixth person and leave very quickly, or the first person and wait as long as an hour before leaving. And I have come to realize that even after you leave, it could potentially take longer than the hour and a half expected, depending on what happens along the way. Basically, everything is out of your control.
“I have no control of the situation… All I can do is wait.”
Right after returning, this annoyed me. I wanted to know exactly when things would happen. But soon I came to realize there is freedom in this. I have no control of the situation, so there is no pressure to be somewhere at a certain time or do anything to speed up the process. All I can do is wait…so this is when I rest. These three hours and the time it takes to get on the road is such a gift. It is now time I use to read a book or listen to a podcast. I am happy to have gained this change in perspective.
Are there times in your life that you feel are being wasted? Ask God to help you transform those times into a gift of rest and refreshment.
*Names changed for security