Breathless Haste

In April 2009, I met with my spiritual director, a person who comes alongside another to listen for God’s activity. I told her how tired I was of being asked where I was from. Apparently my Southern accent had not faded a bit, and it was constant evidence that I was far from home. Each time I was asked, I wanted to scream that I was from the South and I didn’t really want to live in the Midwest and forever shovel snow. But instead, most of the time, I just bit my tongue and kindly said, “South Carolina.”

I also discussed with her the unease that we were feeling. She said that the God of Israel who had summoned us by name would summon us again in the fullness of time. The revelation awaited an appointed time. She then reached behind her chair to grab a Bible from a basket of books. She opened it up to Habakkuk 2:1–4 and read this to me: “At the destined hour it will come in breathless haste, it will not fail. If it delays, wait for it; for when it comes will be no time to linger.”

I said to her, “Breathless haste? That’s how we came to Chicago, basically swept up and carried away in an instant. I wonder if that’s how we will leave?”