The Lesson in the Queue

Not every lane that looks faster will get you to your destination sooner. I was at Bokkku Supermarket last week, waiting to pay for items I had gotten, when a lady from another queue stylishly got in front of me and pushed me out of my spot. I didn’t want to cause a scene, so I moved to her lane. I asked the attendant on my new lane if the issue holding up the queue could be fixed. She said yes, restarted the system, and we were able to continue making payments. Meanwhile, the lady who had moved to my original queue, got held up. Unfortunately, a customer in her queue had payment issues, delaying everyone. By the time I left the supermarket, she was still waiting to pay. Instantly, I remembered a lesson God had taught me earlier in the year. I smiled because I had seen this movie before.

On Sunday, January 4, I had stopped at MRS filling station to buy fuel. At the time, their fuel was relatively more affordable and was regarded by many as one of the better options, so the queues were long. I picked a lane and waited, but soon noticed that the one beside me appeared to be moving faster. It had two attendants, while mine had just one attending to both sides. Rather than stay and wait my turn, I calculated my way into the other lane.

Unfortunately, I ended up waiting just as long as I would have on my original lane. A Sienna at the front was taking a while to fill its tank, leaving us stuck. Meanwhile, the woman who had been behind me in my original lane had progressed to the pump and was already filling her tank. She finished and left before I did.

It was humbling. I kept asking God, “What is this lesson You’re starting me off with in 2026?” I had left my lane because I thought another would be faster, only to discover that I had gained nothing by moving.

The Bokkku experience brought that lesson back to me. Different places, different queues, same reminder.

Sometimes, we look at other people’s lives and conclude that things are moving faster for them. Their careers seem to be progressing, their opportunities seem to be coming more easily, and their plans appear to be working out. So, we begin to question our own pace, change direction, or abandon what we are doing because someone else seems to be getting ahead. But we rarely have the full picture. We see the apparent progress, not the delays that may lie ahead. And in our rush to catch up, we can lose sight of the path we were already on. This is why the song with the lyrics, “While You are working, help me be still… Order My Steps in your Word” will remain evergreen.

Perhaps patience is not just about waiting for God to act. Perhaps it is also about trusting Him enough not to keep changing lanes because someone else appears to be moving faster.

We often say the grass is greener on the other side. But perhaps if we would exercise a little more patience, stay in our lane, and keep moving at the pace God has set for us, we would arrive at our own destination and discover that our grass is green too.