be still

When my brother was a child, he loved Thomas the Tank Engine. We had two large plastic tubs that contained Thomas and his other train friends along with all their wooden train tracks that, when spread out across the floor, took up about half the living room. My brother was very particular about how the trains moved along the tracks and would correct anyone playing with him if their train wasn’t where it was supposed to be. 

The most important place where your train absolutely needed to be in the right place at the right time was at the railroad switch. This part of the track was where two separate tracks would merge into one track so that two different trains could start from their own train platform and eventually ride the same railway. In order to prevent collisions, railway signals would illuminate when the path was clear for your train to enter the single railway. Sometimes my brother would decide that several trains were going to enter the single track from his platform, leaving my train to wait at its platform for what felt like forever. But had I moved my train from the platform before the signal turned green, it would have collided with my brother’s trains. So I had no choice but to wait until the path was clear. 

Sometimes this happens in life. We get stuck on a platform. We know we are being called from the platform, but we have no idea where we are being called to. What results is a frustrating state of limbo where we feel that we are not living into our purpose, but we don’t yet know what that purpose is. We begin to feel burnt out or lose motivation. We are no longer passionate about what we are doing, and we feel that our gifts and talents are not being utilized. We feel like we are wasting time.

Or maybe the train track just isn’t clear yet.

Perhaps there are a few more things we need to learn before we are prepared to live into our purpose. Perhaps the job we are being called to is not open yet or hasn’t even been created. Perhaps the place we are supposed to be living into our purpose is not yet ready to receive us or our work. Perhaps there is one big train still on the tracks that we have to wait to move. 

Trying to start the journey or go our own way before God has prepared us or the way will result in dead ends or train wrecks. In those times when you feel like your life is at a stand still, know that you are not wasting time. You are being called to be still, to wait in place, to prepare yourself to receive the call in God’s perfect timing. And when you do receive the call, you will know it is the right time because the path will be clear and the direction certain.

For now, just breathe and be still, for “God has made everything suitable for its time.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Maybe we just need to have a little party on the platform while we wait (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13). ​