Reason #838

My patience is being tested, and you all know this is one of my biggest struggles. Waiting. But truthfully, no one is good at waiting. Some of us are more patient than others, but waiting is hard. Well, unless you’re waiting on bad things, and then waiting isn’t a problem. But I’m waiting. I’m waiting on the Lord. I know time flies by, but when you’re waiting it doesn’t. And so each day is another day I spend waiting and feeling as if it’s taking forever.

 

Life changes in an instant. When I was single, I was pretty sure it was going to be a season that lasted a few good years. I was wrong, but when I met Aaron he said, “I like to take things really slow.” That was fine with me. I realized the significance in being patient and not rushing into life-altering commitments. Three months after we met, he called me parents to have “the talk.” Two months after that he proposed. Five months later we got married. Two months after our wedding marked the first anniversary of the day we met.  Obviously, we saw no need to wait when we realized we knew what we wanted, and I definitely don’t regret that. Timelines are manmade, God acts when He sees fit. But deciphering between my timeline and God’s has always proved to be a challenge, and I find myself back in the old familiar waiting game I’ve played time and time again.

 

"...For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help." - Isaiah 30:18

 

God's people didn't wait on His timing. They went ahead with their own plans, which were completely contrary to His. They ignored His counsel, His advice, and His commands and they took what, appeared to be, the easy way out. Why, you ask? They were selfish. They were impatient. They lacked faith, and they were disobedient. And so they went in the direction they desired, not in the direction God was leading them. They went the way that sounded most pleasing to their ears, the way that seemed most beneficial and productive. They were going to get what they wanted and their minds were made up. But God had a different plan for His people and there would be repercussions for their impatience. They would end up paying for their selfishness, but yet God would be there for them. Patiently waiting for them to return to Him. Waiting for them to come back and seek Him, and He promised that when they did, they would find love, compassion, and help.

 

And so that's what I'm needing. Love, compassion, and help. Help with waiting, with being patient. With trusting God's timing, and being okay with the fact that it may very well be different from my own. I need help understanding why I am waiting, what I am waiting for, and what I can do about it until then. Because, really, waiting for God is so much better than running ahead of God. Allowing God to guide your path rather than forging your own works out so much better in the end. It's a lesson I've learned more than once, and one I'm trying to remember more now than ever. And so I am waiting. Waiting for your help, Lord. Waiting for your guidance. Waiting for you to show me where to go and how to get there. And I praise you for showering me with your love and compassion during the wait, for having a perfect plan, and for always doing so much more than I could ever imagine on my own. I wait for you with great expectation because you are faithful and good.

 

#838 - For the help to keep waiting with great expectations.

 

"So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion." - Isaiah 30:18