Waiting is so hard.

I got this from a friend the other day. It was timely for me.

"Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

Do you normally enjoy a traffic jam? Is it at all amusing to wait for an elevator? Do you wake up in the morning, looking forward to your visit to the subway station? How much fun is it to watch the clothes in your dryer finish their course? Most of us do not enjoy these things, and the reason is that all of these events require waiting--a forced pause, valuable time wasted while we do nothing.

You may feel the same way about waiting for God. The Bible tells us that His timing is not ours--it is higher, better, more productive. But it sure doesn't feel that way. It can leave us fidgeting, fretting, and pacing. Still, unlike the traffic jams, subway rides, elevators and laundry, waiting on God is never a waste of time.

So instead of sitting there, wringing your hands and wondering when God will decide to move on Your behalf, take time to thank Him. Give Him praise for His faithfulness, His promises, His grace, His love. His intervention on your behalf. Thank Him for the opportunity He has given you to prepare for His answer, to make your heart ready for the changes His answer will bring to your life.

It's true--waiting can be tough. But waitng for God can be a blessing in disguise. It can be the catalyst you need to receive His best answer in His best way in His perfect timing.

I've been reading this every day since I got home from Ghana. Trying to believe it with my heart like I do with my mind! I know that waiting on God isn't a bad thing. I know it is a good thing. He has always been faithful to me--never foresaken me. He has given our family blessing after blessing. And through the hardships we have gone through, He has helped us to grow stronger in our faith.

But as much as I know that God is faithful and WILL provide an answer to our current question (yes, no, or not now), I still find it exceedingly difficult to let go and wait for Him to work. In my simple earthly mind I want to say to Him, "But Lord, it needs to be NOW. We need an answer NOW. Please work NOW! Don't delay!" I see things through a worldly lense, with worldly parameters. He sees all of the complexities of the past, present, and future working together to make an entire eternity of experiences.

"Be still, and know that I am God." Oh Lord, I know it. But the being still...isn't there an easier way? =-)

Anita