WAIT

It was early morning the day after the fourth of July and we were headed to the hospital. The babies were impatient. The doctors had hoped they would stay put until that day.

When we arrived we went right to the room where our daughter-in-law was uncomfortably waiting. Our son was in a calm but anxious mood. We gave words of encouragement then went to our place in the waiting room. And we waited. First there was the news that she would be going soon. But, we still waited. As the morning progressed (and she did not) we learned that there was a delivery that had difficulty, which was causing her delivery to wait. After days in the hospital, with doctors trying their best to postpone a too early delivery, everyone was more than ready to greet the new arrivals.

Then, it was time. We moved to the hallway to pace and stand and pray. Right now I cannot tell you how long that wait actually was but it seemed like 40 days! We were in a place we had visited often and felt comfortable, but we didn’t like the wait of this day. Everything was familiar but the wait was excruciating.

There are times when we are so used to being on the fast track that waiting is a foreign feeling to us. In fact, we refuse to wait and plow on to get what we want when we want it. We are in a place that feels familiar so we think we know the best decision. Why wait? We can move forward now, right? But, what if we ask God for direction? Waiting for His instruction makes us stronger and more prepared. Wait, pray, listen, and wait some more until you get the answer from the One who created you.

When our son walked down the hallway to give us the news, my husband and I had a feeling that we can never explain. Our grandsons had arrived and they both were healthy.

The waiting was difficult but the result was love.

Wait for the Lord;
 

be strong and take heart
 

and wait for the Lord. ~ Psalm 27:14

Sherree Fischer

loveSTRONG ministries

Speaker/Facilitator Team Leader

www.lovestrongministries.com

Don’t Toss That Highlighter Away Quite Yet.

I love everything about the word SCHEDULE! It’s a beautiful thing, from pulling out my assortment of brightly colored highlighters down to hole punching tabs and papers neatly bound in my three ring binder. I secretly (well, it’s not so much of a secret, anymore) will pull out all my binders and relish in the wonderment of my personal organization. (Then, I quickly put them away before anyone sees me...hee hee.)

But in my life right now, I am in a season of “Wait.” Have you ever been there? Or are you there now? No fun. And certainly goes against everything a SCHEDULE oriented person would prefer. My heart knows that God is with me. I feel Him. I have prayed and taken my personal challenges to Him. Yet, I still wait. Then, I begin to doubt. Not in Him, in me. What am I missing that He is trying to show me? Since I am still waiting, He must be still trying to show me something. What is it? Then, back to prayer I go. It’s this back and forth thing. And while I feel my faith has not waivered and I fully trust His timing is perfect, I still find myself wanting the “How” and “When.” As this wait continued to prolong itself, I began to realize that although my back has never turned on Him, my thoughts still have been focused on what this “Wait” looks like for ME. And here are (at least) 2 things that I am missing…

One: the everyday blessings that He provides us - the smile from a stranger, the moments nature scream His name, the verse that sticks with me as I notice it scroll across my Facebook feed and the timing of a hug from my child. And two: the opportunities He is showing me to be used for others. How am I supposed to hear Him if all I am doing is focusing on what I want from my prayers and when it’s going to happen?

In my season of “Wait,” He is showing me to STOP praying for the “WHEN” and the “HOW” and START praying that He WILL! I am learning to have an expectancy that He is working on my behalf. Period.

A variety of highlighters still rest on my desk. I love them. But now I look at them as little blessings that God knows brings me joy and not look at them as what controls my world. I will WAIT on the Lord and know that His “WHEN” and “HOW” are NOT going to look the way I might expect them to, but will look the way that will bring Him the most glory. Now that was worthy of highlighting.

Psalm 27:14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeni Barbush
loveSTRONG ministries
Executive Director
www.loveSTRONGministries.com