Imagine how many hours of our lives is spent watching a little spinning wheel on our computer. That colorful little wheel tells us that our request is “in process.” While it is helpful to see that something is “in process”, I hate not knowing how LONG I must wait, how long I must be “in process.” Last month my computer was a slug and it took for-ev-er to process any request I gave it. That spinning wheel became my bane. Round and round and round and round. Like an endless squeaky hamster wheel. I didn’t know if I had to wait one minute or 1 hour or 1 day!   AUUUUGH!

I’m more of a progress bar kind of girl. That bar gives a steady progress report so you can: 1. Know where you are in the process.  2. Know how long you have to wait.  3. Go do other things while you are waiting for a download.

spinning ballLife often feels like a spinning wheel….it goes round and round and round without ever letting me know just when it will stop so I can move onto the next step. In a staff meeting recently our leaders acknowledged the frustration of a ‘spinning wheel’ and took time to tell us what they DID know. They drew a progress bar and highlighted steps already taken. Somehow that felt more comforting to me. To see that we are actually making progress.

I wake each day to a spinning wheel. But when I slow down to reflect on where I’ve been, how God has been at work, and my current placement on the progress bar I am encouraged. I am encouraged knowing that with God’s help and words of direction I can actually take steps forward in stead of just staring blankly at the eternal spinning wheel.