“Just A Minute, God”
Have you ever told your mother, father, teacher, “Just a minute”? You were busy when they called and had to finish what you were doing before going to the next project. We all have done this. But do we ever do this to God?
The panhandle of Texas is dry and flat. It has huge thunderstorms and equal size dust storms. For the most part it is arid desert-like. It has a big, beautiful sky and you can see for miles. There is a lack of moisture in the air. But a few hours before a large thunderstorm rolls in across the flat land, the air will moisten up. It will almost feel humid.
The large dark clouds will cool the hot land. Thunder will roll across and rattle the windows as it announces the storm’s arrival. Lightening will crash to the earth in loud pops that will sound like a gun going off. The wind will whip clothes off a line, then large, heavy raindrops will fall. A few at first…then more till it looks like sheet of water falling from the sky. Then soon it will all be over and the sun will peek out from behind the clouds as if to see if everything is all right.
Playing with her brother Johnny, Tamera made the latest addition to their mud city, where the cars now had a new road on which to travel to get to the tall mud building. It was quite a city. There were skyscrapers, shopping centers, houses, bridges and roads running all over. The dump trucks were busy and the graders were flattening out a new area to make yet another road. The wind was gently blowing and big, fluffy clouds floated across the sky. It was a perfect day to make a mud city. The two children were totally involved in their latest project. But Mother was watching the sky from the back porch door.
In the distance there appeared a storm approaching. The old back porch door was wooden with a screen torn at the bottom. When the weather was dry—which was most of the time—the door opened and closed easily. But when humid weather came. The top and the bottom of the old door would swell and stick. To open the door, you had to hit the top with your hand and kick the bottom with your foot.
As the storm drew closer, the air grew more humid. The wind picked up and the clouds drew dark. Finally, Mother called from the back door. “Tamera, Johnny, time to come in!” Both of the children said, “Just a minute, mama!” Mother was not to be put off so easily. With more determination in her voice she called a few minutes later. “Johnny! Tamera! Time to come in now!” “Johnny discerning the sharpness in her tone, got up from his play and went straight inside. But Tamera did not. She said, ”Just a minute, mama,!” A few minutes later, mother called again, but only to get the same answer. Tamera was busy building the last mud house by the new road they had just completed. It was very important to her that it be finished and not left for tomorrow. Mother would surely understand, she thought. This was very important work. But the storm grew closer.
Now the storm was very close. The wind had picked up and the dark clouds covered the sun. There was a chill in the air. There was a moisture that you could feel on your cheeks. Tamera looked up to see where the warm sun had gone. Just then, a loud, window-rattling peal of thunder announced the storm’s arrival. Tamera had never liked thunder. It always scared her. Now, the mud house did not seem so important any more. She wanted to be inside, away from the thunder and the wind. Then another peal of thunder went out to meet her ears. That was enough. She ran to the house and pulled on the handle of the door to open it. But the door was stuck fast. It would not open. Tamera cried, “Mama let me in.” From somewhere inside the house she heard, “Just a minute, Tamera.”
Just a minute?!! But I want in NOW, thought Tamera.
The thunder went off again, and again Tamera called, “Mama, let me in!”
But the voice from inside the house, “Just a minute Tamera.”
The wind had picked up and the first drops of rain were falling. Tamera wanted in now and began to beat on the door with her fist. Just then, Mother came and stood on the other side of the stuck door and very calmly said, “Tamera, what do you want?”
“It’s thundering on me, let me in!”
Then, Mother hit the top of the door with her hand and kicked the bottom with her foot and the door came open with a push. Tamera went running in just as the thunder went off and a crack of lightening split the sky.
Mother put her arm around her little girl and said, “Tamera if you had come when I first called, you would not now be scared and cold and wet. It pays to obey when I call you.” Tamera agreed and said she was sorry for not obeying Mother. Then she went in for a nice hot bath, to wash away all the “mud city” and the cold rain.
Do you ever say “Just a minute” to Jesus when He calls? Maybe we should learn the lesson. Our little mud cities and important plans may not seem so important in the eyes of our loving Saviour.
Tamera Morris--Buckley