Last weekend my family and I went to a conference featuring a well-known Bible teacher. The conference was held at a stadium to accommodate the massive crowd. As each session ended, people scurried to the exits in waves. There were the ones who left early to get out before the crowd. There was another wave of people who left just before the final prayer. Yet another wave of people jumped from their seats just as the session concluded. Finally, there were others who waited for the first few waves to clear out before making their way to the exits.

On the last day during the final session, the mass exodus began again, with some leaving before the message even ended. The last thing the speaker did before dismissing the crowd was to bless the audience. I wanted that blessing. As I watched wave after wave of people hurrying to beat the rush, I thought about what they were missing. By the time the speaker gave the blessing, probably 40% of the audience had already left. They missed out. In their hurry to reach their cars and escape the traffic jam that would quickly develop in the parking lot, they left before they received the blessing.

This made me think about how much of a hurry I am in most of the time. I rush from here to there and lose the end of one thing as I scurry to the next. How many blessings have I missed in the process? In my impatience, I have shorted myself from receiving the full measure of what others, and even God, have tried to offer me. I read a book but move on to another before I’ve reached the end. I start a conversation but have to interrupt to talk to someone else or leave for the next activity. I spend time with God but leave His presence to take care of an errand. I wait for His timing but abandon the project because I fail to see the fruit.

In other words, I leave before the blessing. I think I am gaining a head start by rushing forward to the next thing – an edge to put me in front of the crowd. But I am losing out on the most important part. In order for me to receive the blessing, I have to be willing to wait until it’s given. 

I realize that life keeps moving and our schedules sometimes require us to be efficient with our time. Still, the question remains to be asked: What blessings have I missed in my hurry? What good fruit did I pass up because I didn’t stay long enough to see the harvest? I don’t really know. But as I watched the people streaming toward the exits at the conference, missing the blessing, I realized I need to be more willing to wait. I want the blessing, but the blessing requires me to wait for the end, the conclusion, the harvest, the promise, the reward.

Please share you thoughts in the comments. Have you ever missed a blessing? How do you exercise patience to wait to receive every good thing?