Old Faithful is the most popular attraction at the park because, well, it's so faithful! There are plenty of other geysers in the park, but none are as impressive and big (and faithful). Old Faithful goes off about every 3 hours or so, but park officials can't predict the next one until it goes off. So the people go and just wait.... and wait. We went twice and I noticed that there seemed to always be someone waiting. Even if it was a couple of hours away. Maybe they didn't know you could go to the rangers office and get an estimate +/- 10 minutes.
The first time we went there were dark clouds looming overhead. I had not brought any sweatshirts, so Ashley rescued our kids and produced enough for everyone... impressive! We waited about 20 minutes. Mason was so excited and had been talking about how Old Faithful was going to be his favorite thing in the park and how he wanted a picture in front of the geyser while it was erupting. About 5 minutes before it happened, it started to get really windy and it started to rain on us. Some people weren't willing to wait and started to run for cover instead of sitting on the benches up and close to it. More room for us drenched ones!
The next day we went again on our way to the Tetons. This time it was a beautiful day! We all unloaded our bikes and went for a ride around to some of the other hot springs very near Old Faithful.
Then we sat and waited again for about another 20 minutes... because you just don't want to miss it! I was impressed with how many people were there! It was fun to talk with people and see where they came from. I sat next to a guy and his son came from South Carolina.
I also listened to some of the people's comments coming from behind me. There were a couple of teenagers who were getting tired of waiting. They were loud about it too. They said, "I'm just going to go back to the car. This is taking for ever! I don't know if it's even worth waiting for." They did stay, but only because they didn't want to lose their seats on the bench.
Old Faithful steamed and sputtered a little, then calmed down a little, and repeated the process again. There would be small gasps and exclamations that it was coming, only to have it be a false alarm....
I think waiting for God is similar to waiting for a geyser. We want an answer and we want it now! Sometimes we get impatient and decide it's not worth waiting for and just turn away from Him or try to find our awe and wonder somewhere else. We can convince ourselves that a different god will satisfy our needs. We don't need to stick with just one!
Waiting for an answer is hard and sometimes tiring. Occasionally we have to listen to people whining or endure a real storm. It can seem like an eternity.
The Bible says a lot of being faithful. Here are some of my favorite verses on the subject:
Romans 12:12 - Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
1 Thessalonians 5:24 - The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it.
Revelation 19:11 - I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.
Hebrews 10:23 - Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.
I am not the most patient person. Nor do I have great faith. But I am convinced that there is nothing and no one that will satisfy like Jesus does. He knows me and loves me. He wants to bless me. I have been already so much! I am not in a season of waiting for something big right now. But I know I will be in the future. I pray that I am faithful to wait on Him and his perfect timing for my life.
His name is Faithful and He will do what He promised. In the meantime, I will wait! And be amazed when He moves...
If only we could get it narrowed down to +/- 10 minutes :)
