Waiting

What makes us wait?  For a mother to be, she has to wait 9 months for her precious babe to enter the world.  And then there is the labor.  For some of us, like me, I had to wait 19 hours before my precious first born came out to meet me.  My husband and I waited 18 years to see our precious one walk across the stage in cap, gown, and honors cord to receive his high school diploma.  Keith and I waited for 12 years to see if our prayers would be answered when finally the letter came stating our first born was awarded the 4 year scholarship to college.  At the end of the first semester, we received another letter stating our son had lost his scholarship because he had made poor choices in deciding after 7 weeks, and behind our backs, to not go to school anymore.  For the past 5 years, we have waited for our prodigal to return.  He came, he left, he came, he left.  He still has not returned all the way.  We still wait.

Abraham had to wait 25 years for the fulfillment of a promise.  After Noah was told to build the ark, he waited 120 years for the rain to come.  The Israelites waited 40 years before seeing the Promised Land.

Waiting happens for all kinds of reasons.  Some are physical, some wait because of disobedience, lessons needing to be learned, others need to make choices and sometimes because God’s timing is different from our own.

God promises to never leave us or forsake us.  I know this first hand.  In all my waitings, He has been right there. I wasn’t always patient in the beginning for waiting is not easy.  But in the waiting, God is teaching me more and more to trust Him completely. . .in everything. Learning that kind of trust builds those spiritual muscles that keep us from slipping down into a pit. If we have already fallen into a pit, our loving God goes down there with us and will help us with a workout until we are strong enough to climb out. And He is right there beside us cheering us on as we climb and enter the world again.   Those muscles becoming stronger is what gets us out there with a smile on our face, feeling compassion for others, serving and focusing elsewhere while our heart is waiting in stillness.

Speaking of hearts, how patient Jesus must be to wait for all of us to come to Him, to open the door of our hearts and invite Him in.  “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…”.  He waited 12 years for me.  How long did He wait for you?  Is He still waiting?

In our waiting, we can have hope; hope in our Fathers promises.  After 25 years of waiting, the fullfilllment of Abraham's promise was birthed.  After 120 years, Noah's rain came.  After 40 years, the Israelites saw their Promised Land.  I don't know what my number will be, but I'm ok with that now.  Because I trust the Lord to do what needs to be done and in His timing. "Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old, will not depart from it."  I believe that and I'm standing on the promises.

I’m waiting with the light on at the door.  He’s waiting for you to open the door.  He’s holding out the greatest gift ever.  If you’ve excepted it, then you and I are waiting for something else ~ something glorious ~ ‘Come Lord Jesus”.

If you haven’t, open that door and accept. . . “Come Lord Jesus.”   I promise you will never regret it.

What are you waiting for?


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