
Waiting isn’t my best thing, that’s clear. I’m known for getting things done and getting them done quickly. Then God shows up and says, “Wait.” God has but one speed – His speed. He didn’t ask me to be quick about it, and he didn’t ask me to be slow about it. He asked me to wait on him. Brother, am I ever having trouble doing that! In a world of fast food, fast cars, fast Internet service, and instantaneous gratification, I’m being asked to wait. But I want it NOW, Lord! Oh, no – I’ve turned to whining again.
If I’d stop and think about it I’d know that God is still waiting on us, waiting for that one more person to turn to him, waiting for that one more Christian to go out and tell someone about Jesus, waiting for me to get quiet enough that I can hear what he’s saying and listen with my heart, not my mind. In Isaiah 40:31 (KJV) it says:
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.
Teach me, Lord, how to wait, because it is absolutely essential if I hope to succeed in doing anything for the Kingdom. Waiting on the Lord gives you time to consider wisely what to do and how to do it. I can’t count how many times I’ve blundered in and made a mess out of everything. If I wait on the Lord, I’ll have everything I need to do the job properly and rightly, not to mention that I’ll be stronger and walk more closely with the Lord. Waiting brings its own rewards.
Thankfully, God placed me in a position at work where I have to wait. Wait on this person to do that, wait on another to finish this, and wait on the client to become available so we can finish everything I needed from someone else. I worked an evening shift for seven years before I was able to move to a position where I could work day shift again. But, in those seven years, I was able to work with different people in different ways. I learned a great deal about seeing the big picture and using discernment before reactive responses.
Truth is, maybe I’m not destined to do something BIG. Maybe all my contributions will be small but necessary ones. Maybe that is my destiny – to be useful in small ways. Psalm 71:14-15 says:
As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise You more and more. My mouth will tell of Your righteousness, of Your salvation all day long, though I know not it s measure.
There are some things I won’t know until I reach the Throne of Christ, when he looks at my life, taking stock of what I’ve done (or not done). Perhaps nothing big is required except to follow Christ with all my heart and to tell of his mercy, love, and grace all day, every day.
Every morning, when I arise for the day, the first thing I do is thank God for another day to serve him. Only by God’s grace am I still in this world and only by God’s grace will I remain. Such a small thing to do but one with great rewards. I find that if I begin by thanking God, the day goes much better, and at the end of the day, no matter what I’ve accomplished, or how much I accomplished, it was a good day. Every day God gives me is a gift; one he didn’t have to give me but did anyway. He delights in small blessings like lifting a friend’s spirits, giving someone else a bit of praise, or listening to a new mother talk about her child as if no other child has ever done the same things.
Every night, when I finally reach my nice, soft bed, the last thing I do is thank God for another day to serve him. I ask him to stay with me throughout the dark night because I know, no matter what happens, when I awake, I’ll be glad to see him again. I feel safer knowing God’s right there with me as I sleep. The best sleep medicine in the world is talking to the Father as you fall asleep. There’s no rest like it.
In between I talk to God at odd moments. I’ll hear a song that blesses my heart and think, oh, what a wonderful song God gave me. He knows just when I need to hear special words and they’re usually set to music. Because God IS music, his Word is music. Maybe that’s why I find such comfort in reading the Psalms, Proverbs, and parts of other books, like Isaiah and Micah. God may tell you about people who have sinned and bad things that have happened, but he always comes back to the hope that is in him. Because he IS the Word and his Word, like his Music, is always beautiful.
Odd moments are something I’ve come to relish, simply because you never know when they will show up. Surprise! God’s here! It’s been an amazement to me all the words of Scripture he’s brought to mind daily on a very strange schedule. Just when I least expect it and just when I needed it most. God’s timing is perfect. And there you have it, my problem in a nutshell – God’s timing is perfect and mine isn’t.
So what’s a girl to do? Wait on God. Then wait some more. And if I still don’t have an answer, wait a little bit longer. Wait until the answer comes because it will come, just not in my time frame. Maybe if I’d waited on God when I first began my walk I wouldn’t be having so much trouble figuring out what to do now. If I’d only listened to Father …
And so the words of Psalm 27:14 ring ever so true:
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.