I cannot begin to remember and count all the different times I have wanted to know how God is working in and through a particular situation and also wanting to desperately know when I will have answers. I think it was my pattern for life especially as a younger Christian without a lot of spiritual growth under my belt, so to speak.
Too numerous to count are the times answers did not come on my timetable, but as I have walked longer with the Lord, I have learned more about the process of waiting. Learning about waiting is not an easy or pleasant experience.
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A new year makes me think of new beginnings. The move to a new calendar feels like a fresh start—a blank page with all sorts of possibilities. It’s easy to think now is when everything can change.
Then as January progresses into February, the newness wears of. The New Year’s resolutions are long forgotten and life feels the same as it was.
Or have we just stopped looking for the newness in our everyday?
New beginnings don’t depend on the change of the calendar year. God gives us a new start every day.
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions (mercies) never fail.
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I remember as a child waiting in anticipation for my birthday or for Christmas to arrive. Time moved slowly and the waiting dragged on forever.
As an adult, that time moves much more quickly. It seems like Christmas is around the corner again before last year’s gifts are put away. And birthdays…well, each one is not quite as exciting anymore. The anticipated wait doesn’t drag anymore. Now it flies by.
Waiting for the calendar page to turn—that’s not so hard. Unless time ends, one month will flow into the next, guaranteed.
But waiting on God? It. Is. Hard. Some days waiting on God feels impossible.
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Advent is the season of waiting expectantly and preparing our hearts for the arrival of Baby Jesus. We reflect on the miraculous conception, the birth in lowest of conditions, and the fulfillment of the prophecy…
…the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). Isaiah 7:14 (NLT)
We rejoice on Christmas morning—Christ is born!
And then…Christmas is over. Or at least that’s how it feels. We put the Christmas decorations away and go back to our busy lives as usual.
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I’ve been working my way through Your 100 Day Prayer: The Transforming Power of Actively Waiting On God, by John Snyder, over at Counting My Blessings this summer.
I believe that finding this book was a God appointment in my life. You see, I’ve been praying about something for a VERY long time. God has blessed me with peace and patience most of the time, but occasionally when longing sets in and my heart hurts . . . well, I’ll bet you can relate.
One of my favorite quotes from the book is:
Prayer is not like rubbing a magic lamp to get our wishes granted.
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Wait. It’s the spiritual exercise most followers of Jesus dread most. But from it comes the fruit of patience. Waiting builds a faith muscle of tremendous hope and perseverance for what lies ahead. Waiting on the Lord is never in vain.
Has the Lord ever whispered to your heart, wait on me? Have your petitions and pleas been met by the quiet presence of a perfect God, reminding you once again that He is in control?
When God handed me four children to raise up He had to of been chuckling to himself. Patience was never my greatest strength. As a mommy I needed it in abundance and I needed to teach it to my own little ones.
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“I’m confident of this very thing, that he which hath
begun a good work in me will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil.
1:6)
Sometimes waiting is not about being denied what we want, it’s about molding, and shaping us into who God wants us to be.
Doesn’t make it an easier, huh?
Waiting is not easy. It’s not even fun. But it is necessary.
Why? Only God knows for sure. I remember a time I used to ask a lot of “W” questions.
“Why did she get that book contract instead of me?”
“Why are you blessing her and not me?”
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