The closer I get to meeting our new baby girl, the more reflecting I am doing. Since there is not much more I actually CAN do, thinking seems to be the safest and easiest for me to manage.
Today is Valentine's Day!! I actually dreamed I went into labor on Valentine's Day, so in the back of my brain, it's a possibility... Haha!! Anxious much? Nah...
Really, the thing that I've been thinking on most is how MANY things in our life is a series of waiting games. Hoping. Praying. Believing. Trusting. In fact, there are very FEW things that give immediate answers or satisfaction. Chocolate being one of the few things that satisfies immediately, although briefly.
The thing with waiting is...it can get boring. Tedious. Stressful. Nerve-wracking. This is especially true if you aren't sure what you are waiting on. For instance, our baby girl, what will she REALLY look like? Will she have red hair? Will she be a "good baby"? Will she sleep through the night quickly? Will she go to college? These are not things I am worried about, just things I'm waiting to find out.
So, what's the purpose of waiting? Is it God's way of teaching patience? Grace? Perhaps. I truly believe it's God's way of positioning the best possible outcome. The perfect plan for us. And, He includes roadblocks, obstacles, trials and frustrations along the way too. And, His perfect plan is perfect to Him for us, not necessarily our idea of perfect.
As humans, this is very hard to accept sometimes. We feel that the perfect will of God should be all sunshine and rainbows, huge flashing neon signs and absolutely clear and focused direction from God. And often, it is. But sometimes, He asks us to wade through some tough stuff. Our emotions get trampled. Our hearts get broken. We feel disconnected, lost and abandoned. But, the reality is, He's never left. He is still guiding and He is STILL in control. Who do you think brought the fog? Who do you think brought the heartache? Does He ENJOY our dilemma? No. But in His wise way, it is yet another opportunity to trust Him. To turn to Him. To depend on Him.
While we wait, we should make sure that we stay in the waiting room. Even if it means sitting in the dark. Once our name is called, we should be ready to walk through the doors and receive the answer He has for us.
Abandon the waiting room...and you abandon the blessing, the miracle, the answer.
Waiting rooms are seldom fun. Out of date magazines, screaming toddlers, cold and uncomfortable plastic chairs...but oh, the feeling when your name is called... Somehow, all the unpleasant parts of waiting just seem to slip away as you stand up, look forward, walk through that door and into the thing you've been waiting ever so patiently for.
1 comment:
thank you for the reminder! Tonight, I will continue to wait on his promises :)
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