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learning along the way

Oh my goodness, it’s at times like this that I am once again reminded that I so do NOT have life all figured out and everything all together all the time.  Nope. I absolutely do not.  Right now God has us in a season that I truly do not do very well in. In fact…I’m convinced that I was last in line when God handed out this ability. I totally stink at it…

W.a.i.t.i.n.g.

I am not good at waiting.  I don’t like waiting for anything.  If I see something, I want it now.  If I want to do something, I want to do it like yesterday. I’m one of those people that just jumps right in and goes for it–and then later wonder why in the world I even did it.  And then I regret.

Waiting is just not my thing. 

You may be familiar with Psalm 37:7.  It says, “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.”  Oh my word–that be still and wait patiently thing?  Surely that’s for everyone else and not for me?  Perhaps if I could just take the “patiently” word out of there it would be a little easier for me to work out.  Patience and waiting are like oil and water with me. They don’t go well together. Waiting patiently for the Lord to move?  I fail miserably. I want Him to, need Him to, have to have Him act NOW.

But we all know that sometimes most times God just does not do things the way we want Him to. I mean, He is God and He really can choose to do things however He pleases. 

These days my prayer life is all about me coming to God with my ten thousand requests and questions…

“Um, God, you still there?”

Be still and know that I am God, my daughter.

“God, you see our situation, right?  Don’t you think you could like do something to help out a little here?”

Be still and know that I am God, my daughter.

“Helloooooo God, you still there?”

Be still and know that I am God, my daughter.

Aaahhh, yes, such is the season.  One where God is silent, and our faith is being tested like never before.  I have been thinking a lot about dear old Abraham recently.  “Go Abraham!  Pack up your family and everything you own and start walking. Go and I will show you where to stop.”  Heck!  No road map, no GPS. No anything. Just “Go!”

I somehow don’t think I would have passed the test.

Abraham had the one thing that God required of him…absolute faith in His Father in heaven. Abraham knew that he knew that God would not abandon him.  He knew that God would meet him on the other side.  He knew God had it all figured out, and that the journey was not his concern but the Almighty Fathers. Being obedient to follow God was Abraham’s only concern. Obedience sure is not our ticket to the sweet life though. Nor does it mean that adversity will never come knocking at our door. The Lord told us in James 1:2 that we will face trials of many kinds. It’s life.

I read Abraham’s journey (and many others in the Bible) and it all seems so simple.  Just have faith, that’s all. Easy, huh? Faith in a God we cannot see.  Faith in a God we cannot touch.  Faith in a God who’s voice we have to learn to hear. Sometimes it is so not easy. There are days when I wonder if I will ever arrive at that place where my faith is unshakable and I have the absolute assurance that my God IS more than able to work out all things on my behalf.  I have such a long, long way to go.

These are days of great testing, and great learning for our family.  In the midst of many challenges, we’re digging deep in our faith.  The Father is stripping us of things we once held onto–to get us to that place of needing ONLY Him.  When provision runs dry, He is our source.  When challenges come, He is able to make the path straight.  When the storms of life rear their ugly head, He is the ONLY One who can calm the raging sea. 

In the midst of this season of waiting, we see the beautiful hand of our Creator at work. We have been so amazingly blessed in our new neighborhood. God knew what He was doing when He planted us here. In all our years of moving and traveling around the world I can honestly say that we have never experienced such warmth and love from a community.  They are the church in action–His hands and feet. They know how to be the Church. What a blessing this community has been to our family in this season.

And so I’m learning, friends. Learning what it truly means to be still and wait upon the Lord. Life can never be smooth sailing all the time.  God allows us all to go through the deepest valleys…and to stand on the highest mountain tops.  It is all for our good.  It is all for the maturing of our walk with Him.  And it is ultimately all for His glory.  Every season in our lives is to be used as a testimony for His glory.  The good times and the challenging times.

I’m learning that my God already knows every need, every care and every burden on my heart this day.

Learning to embrace every season He allows me to go through…even this one.

Learning to let my words be few, and my adoration be abundant.

“Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.”  Ecc. 5:3

Learning to wait patiently on the Lord.

And while I wait I’ll choose to count my blessings daily…and name them one by one for they are many.

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