Waiting has been in a big part of my life for many years. I know it will continue to be as long as I’m here. There are so many things I’m waiting on: a wife, a job, the house to sell, a move, answers to so many prayers.
I keep waiting and waiting. Most of the time I deal with it ok. I send up a prayer and ask God to get me through this moment. Other times I feel like an impatient 2 year old crying and throwing a tantrum.
Lately I hear God saying, “Wait some more, it’s not time.” Recently we wrapped up a great series at church called The Waiting Room. In the series Jeff Henderson talked about how Abraham and Sarah waited for years and years for God’s promise of a son to be fulfilled. Then Jeff challenged us to remember the times when God has been faithful in the past. Lastly Jeff challenged us to remember it’s not what or when we should put our hope, but who. That who is God.
This is personal stuff but I know we’re all waiting for something. We’re all waiting for answers. So many of us are hurting right now. We just want to know when will it be over? When will we get a break? How do we deal with all the pain, the questions, the irritability and the monotony? Sure it’s easy to say, “I put my trust and hope in Jesus.” Seriously what does that look like?
I think it looks like us doing our best each day. We get up, pray, call our contacts, pray, eat, pray, help someone else, pray, send an e-mail, pray, watch a movie, pray, exercise, pray…you get the idea. We do what we’d normally do but just pray a whole lot.
I have times where I doubt. I’ll be at work and I wonder how much longer? When will it rain again?
Call it faith, hope or wishful thinking but I know that it won’t always be this way. There will be a time when I look back on 2009 and remember all the challenges I faced. I’m not perfect. Could I pray more? Yes. Could I spend my time more wisely. Yes. However, I’m leaning on the everlasting arms for now. One day I won’t be waiting on a wife, a job or a move. Something else will replace them. Could be waiting on a baby to born or waiting for healing. I know there will be something.
For those that will, lift me up. Ask God to give me patience, to wait for His plan. The last thing I want is get in the way and stop what He has planned. I’ve been waiting a long time so I can wait some more.
NOTE: Jeff Henderson referenced Tom Petty’s song, “The Waiting,” in his series and then at the end of the service as we left they played that song. I love when Buckhead Church does that.