I have never had the pleasure of experiencing the Panama Canal but my parents have and they said it was a truly wonderful adventure. They returned from their cruise amazed at how the ship would pass through these locks, gates closing behind them then other gates opening in front of them allowing the new inflow of water to gradually raise the ship to the next water level. Once the ship was at the new water level, gates would open allowing the ship to pass into the next lock and then close behind them allowing the process to repeat. Gradually, the ship safely crossed the expanse of land separating the two bodies of water.  GRADUALLY!  If too much water is let into the lock too quickly, it would violently rock the ship, bashing it against the lock causing damage to the vessel as well as the passengers as they would be tossed about unexpectedly.

Along the same lines…. Have you ever heard the phrase “he swept her off her feet”?  Usually this means that some young lovely fell head over heels in love with a man she virtually knew nothing about.  Emotions came crashing in and she was carried away by these feelings, ignoring all those red warning flags waving around in her head.  More often than not, (yes, yes, I know there are exceptions), these relationships end tragically and hearts end up battered and bruised because there was no gradual process of getting to know each other; no gradual process of raising the emotions from acquaintance to beloved.

Then there is the phrase “can’t run before you can walk”.  Well of course not!  If we tried running before we could walk, we would crash violently into things and it would be our bodies being battered and bruised.  Again, there is a gradual process of standing, stepping, walking, THEN running.

So why is it that when we pray, we expect immediate results?  We kneel in anguish alone or in groups pleading for change, pleading for help, pleading for inspiration, wisdom, love, peace, money, jobs, understanding, health, help, patience… and, we want it now!

God’s Mercy and Generosity move like the locks in the Panama Canal.  He is always in the process of answering our prayers, but it is a process.  Some processes take longer than others and it depends on where we begin and where we need to be when the prayer is answered.  If there is a big difference between the two levels, it will take longer than if there is only a slight difference between the two levels.  If there is a big difference between where we are and where we are asking to be and God answered our prayers immediately, we could very easily end up flooded, drowned, crushed, swept away, battered, and bruised.  Too much too soon can be a dangerous, overwhelming thing even when it comes to answered prayers!

Patience and Trust.  Patience and Trust.  KNOW your prayers are always in the process of being answered, in often times very surprising, unexpected ways.  It is a process, a gradual one, and one that is so gentle, you may not even notice it is happening.  Have faith, because it IS happening…. Gradually.

Patience and Trust, Patience and Trust as you move through God’s Panama Canal of Life.