Waiting

Parenthood comes with lots of "waiting" time. This isn't something anyone warns you about. Not saying there's a lot of calm time just waiting.  Waiting at practice, waiting for potty time, waiting on food to cook or cool (isn't that funny that we have to do both).  Waiting at the doc's, waiting for a phone call, waiting...waiting... Waiting.

Maybe that's why pregnancy comes with so much waiting.  Waiting on a positive test result.  Waiting to tell everyone until you're ready. Waiting for nausea to subside. Waiting to find out what you're having.  Waiting at the docs.  Waiting on test results. Waiting on your water to break.  Waiting on contractions.  Waiting to push.  Waiting on birth.

Having had my first child after being induced at almost 42 weeks I did a lot of waiting.  Now here I am waiting again.  God designed pregnancy to be a certain length of time for different creatures.  Why does ours have to be so long?  Why do we have to wait? And why is it so hard?

Waiting can do one of two things to you.  It can exhaust you or revive you.  We have to LEARN to be good "waiters."

Isaiah 40:31 speaks of the good kind of waiting.

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.

But we often see people who react quite differently to the waiting.  Who impatiently demand change or anxiously blame the waiting on something.  What is different?  Okay let's be honest we all are these "bad waiters" sometimes.

So what can we do?  Shift our focus and be content.  Paul talked about learning to be content in all circumstances.  Not accepting of status quo but so rooted in Christ and so trusting of His plan that you can accept what comes your way.  You can search the scripture but Jesus didn't follow a "traditional life schedule," write out a to do list, or whine about the demands of the job.  No he consistently fed those around him and then turned around and spent time with His Father.

So let us focus on serving while we wait. Let us remember the things we allow our minds to dwell on have power in our life.  As Paul wrote:

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. (‭Philippians ‭4‬:‭8-9‬ MSG)

Harmony and peace while waiting.

September 6 - Not Right Now

John 16:5-15

I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. (John 16:12 ESV)

"Patience is when we wait nicely." That's what we tell our son nearly daily when he seems to be getting antsy. Patience is a tough thing to develop. Why? Because we often think we're ready for something when we're not.

Jesus knew his followers better than they knew themselves. He knew that he was sharing so much with them that they were at capacity. They couldn't handle any more profound truths that particular day. They had hit their saturation point.

I think he does the same with us. He knows what we're ready to hear. But I don't think He will communicate something to us that we're not ready for. It means we are not the final authority. We're not the ones calling the shots. Jesus does. He evaluates both instantaneously and beyond the confines of time. He sees tomorrow's potential in today's failings. He sees the real us, the true heart, and he is the best judge of what exactly it is that we need to know, do, and experience right now.

January 27 - Waiting for Jesus

Read: Luke 2:25-38

"Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel." (Luke 2:29-32 ESV)

Simeon had been waiting a very long time to see Jesus. He had believed for years that he would live to see the days of the Messiah, and then one day out of the blue Mary and Joseph showed up with the baby Jesus. The old believer got so excited, he scooped his infant Lord up and under the power of the Holy Spirit began to worship him.

Can you imagine waiting for something for so long? Have you ever got impatient waiting for something that wasn't even that important? We all have. Simeon had waiting so long to see God's promise fulfilled in his lifetime. He kept waiting. He kept believing. And one day he got to experience Jesus.

How fast do we give up? How easy do we quit? In truth we often we give up too fast on the things that are the most important. Let's face it, we live in a microwaveable fast food world where convenience, amenities, and information are easily attained. Many of us are completely unfamiliar wi the kind of patient faithful waiting that Simeon demonstrated.

What if he had quit waiting? What if he had given up just a day too early? He would have missed Jesus. Don't stop believing for whatever it is God has put in your heart. Just wait. Be faithful. He is worth it.