From the Desk Of:
When “Waiting” Becomes a Blessing
Relying On GOD in New and Unexpected Ways!
Genesis 18:1-15 (The Story of Abraham and Sarah prophecy of a child)
In my journey, learning how to wait has been a hard but wonderful lesson at different times in my life. It took me all these years to discover and understand the blessing in waiting—not so much as the cliché of “good things come to those who wait”, but the powerful things that have happened within me while waiting.
Waiting has been one of the hardest things in my life. I don’t like waiting in line, on the phone or for my food in a restaurant. We are always waiting on or for something. Here is the ironic thing; life is a—as we call it in the military, rush, rush, hurry up and wait—once we have received what we have been waiting on or for, it seems to lead to waiting for something else. Prime example:
I was hungry; once I satisfied the hunger, it is only a matter of time before I was hungry again. I could not expect one meal a day to sustain and keep me full! My life is filled with waiting, and I had to make up my mind—will I be discontent because I don’t yet have what I want, or can I find contentment along the way with God’s help? What will I learn in my time of waiting—am I willing to listen for God as I wait?
I discovered that in ‘My Waiting”, it forced me to be still long enough for God to do an awesome work in me—making, molding and fixing me; accomplishing His purpose in my life. Waiting was a struggle; I was so used to the illusion of me being in control of my life by planning and acting on those plans. Yes, from time to time I had a tendency to believe that I was a mover and a shaker of things happening—not fully giving credit to the force, power and anointing that was behind that move and shake—GOD. When I had to wait, things became clear. Waiting stripped me of that illusion and forced me to acknowledge that GOD is the real mover and shaker of great things happening and that I was the vehicle He used to accomplish what He purposed in my life and that I needed GOD.
In researching my position of waiting things became clearer as I begin to understand what is to happen in my wait.
My favorite scripture that brought waiting into focus for me is:
Isaiah 40:31
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
The Hebrew that mean “wait” because of the image of binding things together. God used my time of waiting to be silent and listen, bind relationships closer together and most of all to bind my heart closer to God than I had ever been.
I can remember when I was waiting on God to give me direction on how I should bring forth the ministry He had placed inside of me. How was I going to get His people’s attention and who would even take the time to even listen to me? Before I decided to allow God to use me in a Blogger capacity, I use to be a web designer and did custom graphics for a living—I had a Desktop Publishing Business for years. On top of that I was evangelizing from time to time so I was always reading, studying and writing my next great sermon—so I thought. Little did I know that I was preparing for these very days and many days to come.
During this time of waiting, I still collected and prepared. There were months and weeks at a time when I would go in prayer and would just be silent waiting for God to speak and give me some directions. Still researching, I became at ease in waiting for God to speak. It took some time before I realized that in my waiting for the Lord to speak, I begin to feel like a breaking in me—in my attitude; I felt myself letting go of things that did not matter, I begin to forgive myself and others—I no longer tried to be the fixer of everything. I truly casted my cares upon the Lord. When I tell you, I LET GO of stuff—all I can tell you is that I released it to GOD and hurts, issues and people went with it.
By the time the Lord begin to speak and guide me, it took me a while to wrap my brain around how much better I felt in my mind, body and spirit; it took me a while to acknowledge that He had spoken. I know—crazy isn’t. Oh but when I did realize and acknowledge that GOD had spoken to me concerning ministry I was carefully to not take it for granted and I tried to write everything the Lord spoke.
As I read Genesis 18:1-15 (Abraham’s and Sarah’s Story), it revealed that at different times of my life, between the lines of hurt, disappointment, unforgiveness and discontentment there was also growth in my trust and hope in GOD. I may not have received what I was waiting for at the moment; but in the meantime, I had developed more compassion, grace and mercy which enabled me to foster better relationships and developed a peace that passed all understand which brought me to a level of peace in my patience. So other blessings were endless.
I chose to come out on the other side of “MY Wait” happier, whole, clear in my mind, healing in my mind, body and soul—Yes, how we wait sometimes bring pain to the body, mind and spirit.
Today, I trust God is good, even when I can’t see it in the ways I want or expect—I will seek God’s help and comfort in prayer and worship when I can’t find it in this material world. In my waiting, I ask God to change me instead of expecting to change GOD.
If I had to give one (1) piece of advice, it would be—Spend some time waiting on GOD in prayer; don’t ask for anything or even talk to Him, it’s just a time to be quiet.
Have think own way, Lord! Have thine own way!
Thou art the potter; I am the clay,
Mold me and make me after thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
~Adelaide A. Pollard, 1902~
I close with this scripture:
Psalms 46:10
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
Continue to be Blessed and Highly Favored in GOD!
Today, Don’t Just Be Great ~ Be on the Other Side of Brilliance!
Excerpts from Jessica LaGrone Namesake When God Rewrites Your Story (p29 – 31)
You must log in to post a comment.