When I moved to California, I had an old Jeep.

I would drive it till’ it broke down, then call a friend for a ride or a tow, and get the jeep fixed.  No problem. 

But when it broke down when I was driving down “the 5” (how we Californian’s talk about interstate 5), it was not as easy to call a friend and get a buddy to tow me back to town with a rope.  

I learned the value of AAA. The Auto Club is, truly, there when you need them, happy to send a truck and get you out of a jam.  And I’ve now been a card carrying member for over 17 years. 

That being said, there is that gap of time between when you call for AAA and then AAA arrives…

What do you do when you are on the side of the road waiting for help? And many of us feel that way with God in our prayer lives. 

We pray… Then we wait…  Now what?

Here are 3 things to do when you are stuck… and you’re waiting for far more than AAA to give you a tow. You’re waiting for God to rescue you! (spoiler alert: one of these steps may shock you)

1 • Breathe

If I’m sitting on the side of the road… let alone “the 5″… my tendency is to get anxious.

And when I’m waiting on God, I get anxious all the time:

“When will you answer?” … “What will you do?” … “You know I really need your help, right?”

I’ve been reading a great book called Holy Noticing: The Bible, Your Brain, and the Mindful Space Between Moments by Charles Stone. In it, he gives a great acronym for prayer using the word “breathe”:

Praying for your B- body, R-relationships, E-emotions, T-thinking, H-heart, and E-environment.

Today, while taking deep breaths, express your holistic concerns to God. 

2 • Finish up

When I’m prepping to be picked up by a tow truck or a friend, I start collecting the things out of my car I’ll need.

Keys, bags, garage door opener, phone charging cord.  Check.

The same thing is true when waiting on God. Finish up the last thing he told you.  Make amends, seek forgiveness, let go of grudges, honor God with your finances, bless neighbors.  

Recently in a weekend service I did an entire teaching on this called “Do the Next Right Thing.”  You can check it out here. 

3 • Hitchhike

Didn’t see that one coming, did you? 

This used to be commonplace years ago, but now I wouldn’t recommend it.  Guess I’ve seen too many movies.  But there is some wisdom in this when we are waiting on God. 

When your faith is low… hitchhike on someone else’s faith. 

This is why being a part of a church is so important.  Not just so you can be “fed” , but so you lean on those and “hitchhike” on the faith of others when you’re needing some strength. 

“I believe because they believe” is a key motivator.  And some day, you’ll be that ride for someone else too.

Don’t give up. Do the next right thing. God will show up. He’s seldom early, but he’s never late. 

Your Pastor,
Rusty George