After some comments on yesterday’s post, I realized that I need to tell you about what I call divine procrastination.
I am, I will freely admit, a procrastinator. I could describe in great detail how I procrastinate, what I believe are some of the reasons for putting things off. However, that would be procrastination.
I experience, occasionally. a different kind of delay. There may be a project I have every intention of completing. I keep it on my list. I work parts of it over in my brain. I treat it as I would anything that I actually get done. But this particular kind of project never makes it to the top of the list.
Then I discover that the delay made sense. Someone else needed to work on this. Other people weren’t ready for the conversation until now (whenever the now is).
A couple weeks ago, I was reading that Paul, on the second of his major trips, found his plans stopped:
Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.
When Luke writes about this part of the trip, I wish that he offered more detail. I wish he told us how Paul was stopped. Was it huge sign, or was it a little check in his heart that felt like it wasn’t quite time to move? Was it a cold? Was it mixed up schedules? Was it that he just couldn’t find the words?
That’s what I meant yesterday. Some things I just can’t do when I want. But I must do what I can.
300 words a day 
Leanne
This makes complete sense. I was reading in Roman’s last night about Paul’s delay, too. I think the thing is, when you try and listen/follow God, there is an aspect of “and thine ears shall hear a word saying, ‘this is the way, walk ye in it, when you turn to the right or to the left’. Sometimes, though, that direction is to not turn right, nor left but rather, to stand still. Hard to do but when you’re that tuned in to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, even if that prompting is a “delay”, it’s usually the most efficient use of your time. My two cents 😉
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Rich Dixon
When Adam chomped on that apple, why didn’t God just send Jesus right then? Why wait? And why not send Him back, right now, and end this maddness?
Maybe “divine procrastination” is really preparing the soil, training the actors, allowing the Spirit to develop and enrich the background. Maybe when we don’t rush things we’re doing things God’s way.
I think you’re exactly right–as long as I don’t try to blame computer solitaire on God’s will. 🙂
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Joseph Ruiz
I am all too familiar with procrastination. Divine delay not so much. 😉 Having said this i appreciate the clarification. The delay part really does force me to trust – or as the Psalmist says “Wait on the Lord” of course we wait on the Lord after we have committed everything we do. I am trusting on the Lord to transform my thinking so what looks like procrastination becomes delay and what i am now avoiding I’ll learn to embrace and move forward.
BTW as a complete side note I will send you an email (been procrastinating) about the Kindle experience. The quick review is “I really LOVE it” thanks for experimenting.
Grace and Peace
Joe
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Seth Parker
Jon – This is EXACTLY what I have come to understand lately. I have been walking in the grace and peace of the Lord as I work towards certain goals and objectives. I had a certain goal for a certain thing, but its just not happening and I sense that there is another thing for me to do in that moment and that there may be another time to come back to that first thing. I don’t have to constantly carry the burden or anxiety of trying to do everything I want to do in one day or week or year. The Lord is at work. When I quit artificially striving, and just rest in the Lord, and do the one thing that’s in front of me, I start to understand his ways as he graciously passes something back to me in due time. …or sometimes I never do the thing, like Asia, and that’s OK too!
With grace and peace to you (and myself for not “working” these last 5 minutes :).
Seth
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