Nobody talks about the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter. Some Christians call it “Holy Saturday” or “The Great Sabbath.“
Really, it is a time of waiting. It is a moment between the agony of Friday and the joy of Easter morning. It’s simply a day of waiting. Nobody likes to wait. Who likes to be in darkness, after all? But it is essential in every worthy endeavor.
When I read this Inc.com article about United Airlines and the importance of smooth leadership transitions in business, I was impressed by how a CEO and leadership had the wherewithal to leave a business on good footing. What was more impressive is that the transition has occurred during the coronavirus pandemic and that by outside observations, it has been a smooth transition from to Oscar Munoz to Scott Kirby.
All airlines have had some rough times lately. What would have happened if the former CEO didn’t have a plan? Would United be in a much rougher spot? Would Munoz have been forced to stay on while the crisis dragged on?
Transition plans matter, but can be tough to plan and implement. It forces the leader to acknowledge they won’t be there forever. It is why Summer Redstone of Viacom and Rupert Murdoch of News Corp have had such a hard time with it. Their egos and the required humility to face your mortality can be too much for many leaders, especially if they founded the company.
But if you want an entity that will outlast you, a healthy, thoughtful transition is necessary.
Yesterday, I had an appointment. We were making good time on the freeway. the GPS app showed an accident was ahead, but it would only delay us four minutes. Then we slowed down. and we waited….
Traffic was at a standstill for two hours. We had to cancel the first appointment. Did my wife and me waist our afternoon? It felt as pointless as the couple waiting in my cartoon.
When traffic finally moved again, we decided to keep our dinner appointment with friends. After all, we came this far! It ended up being a pleasant evening. The memory of the two-hour standstill faded. Eventually, the wait did feel worth it! It reminded me of this verse:
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12 NIV
It resonates with me because my wife and I have been in a period of waiting. We know things are about to change in our life, but we don’t know how or when. We only know it begins when she resigns from her position as a children’s pastor at the end of the year.
We are all forced to wait once in a while. I didn’t feel joyful, patient or faithful in the traffic jam. But how I waited ended up mattering more and led to an enjoyable evening.
Sometimes, how we wait during this time of year is more important than the event we are anticipating.
This morning, I get to talk to kids about patience. Everybody loves that topic, right? I mean, who doesn’t love to wait for things that they would like right now? But patience allows us to put off the good for the better.
The lesson is based on the story of Simeon in Luke 2:22–35. This quote sums it up:
Patience is the companion of wisdom.
Saint Augustine on Goodreads.com
Patience teaches us to mind our temper. It allows us to make better choices and to invest in the future. Patience is a virtue that pays off in spades.
The kids I will teach on this Sunday morning may have a hard time getting this morning’s lesson. Heaven knows I wasn’t a patient kid. but my prayer for them this morning is if they don’t get it now, this lesson will come to them when they really need it. May it keep them from making a dumb, urgent decision at the expense of a better future.
