"Still" Waiting, Lord!
So last night while I was writing about being still I started thinking about how long that chapel service was. It was long, but to the 6 year olds in the group it seemed like an ETERNITY! At first they did really great... we were singing and doing the pledge and were up and down, up and down and good bit. But then the Jonah program began. It was so cute. The second graders did a great job with their little play and songs and all, but those baby kindergarden babies were starting to squirm! I noticed my little Caroline stand... then sit... then stand... then sit... all while watching the play. She was being quiet, but buddy was she squirming in her seat! (and in the seats of those around her a few times!)
Then I started thinking about me and how I act when the Lord has me in a waiting time. My mind is just a workin'.
What can I do in the mean time, Lord? Where can I go? Who can I talk to? PLEASE give me something to do!!!!!!!!
That is why last week's Bible study on being still was so good. It was such a good reminder that while we may SEEM to be patient with our actions.. "Well, I am just waiting on the Lord... I am such a good Christian!"... we may not be patient in our minds or emotions during those waiting times.
You know how it is. You take your car to the dealership (or wherever!) to have it serviced and you have a kid with you. Your only job is to wait PATIENTLY for the car to be serviced. Most people are just reading, resting, sitting... but you, the one with the kid, oh you are waiting all right, but patiently would NOT be the word that you would use to describe the experience. They want to touch things, talk to people, ask questions, go here, go there, sit in all of the seats in the waiting area, get a snack out of the machine, ask more questions, crawl on the floor, play with things that could break, get a drink, run through the room, ask MORE questions, go to the potty... my WORD!
It's true you are waiting, but patiently and "still"waiting is not what is happening. Can I get an Amen!?
When God allows us to be in a waiting period He sometimes lets us wait until we decide to be TOTALLY still... mind, body and soul. He sometimes lets us wait until we decide to really sit down, with no distractions and listen to Him with all that we are. "Still" waiting is hard. It means that our emotions (while still there) can not drive our decisions. It means that our own thoughts and ideas (while still there) can not be the thing that we rely on to understand God's will. It means that our actions need to be tempered by the Holy Spirit until we get an answer, and it means that our ambitions need to be prayed over so that they are in line with the Father's... making sure that they are not solely our own.
"Still" waiting does not usually just happen during a one day period and then... Your off... either! Unfortunately for the human nature God's waiting periods are sometimes lengthy. In the age of microwaves and drive through windows we do not have to wait more than a minte for many things. But God's wrist watch seems to tick along at different intervals for different people as they wait on Him. One recent waiting period for me has been well over a year. We have friends who have waited for much longer and it is very hard!
I guess the thing that I am FINALLY learning is that it is all about the journey with God. He DOES care about those things that we long for. He tells us to tell Him the desires of our hearts so I KNOW He cares, but it isn't the end result that He is most interested in. It is the time that we spend before Him.. talking.. listening.. crying.. loving...growing.. learning.. and seeking Him that most interests Him. He does want to give His children good things, but He also wants us to rely on Him every single day as we wait.
"Still" waiting. There's some good in it. If you would leave a comment if you are waiting and let me pray for you and with you. It would be an honor to lift you to the throne of the Father.
Then I started thinking about me and how I act when the Lord has me in a waiting time. My mind is just a workin'.
What can I do in the mean time, Lord? Where can I go? Who can I talk to? PLEASE give me something to do!!!!!!!!
That is why last week's Bible study on being still was so good. It was such a good reminder that while we may SEEM to be patient with our actions.. "Well, I am just waiting on the Lord... I am such a good Christian!"... we may not be patient in our minds or emotions during those waiting times.
You know how it is. You take your car to the dealership (or wherever!) to have it serviced and you have a kid with you. Your only job is to wait PATIENTLY for the car to be serviced. Most people are just reading, resting, sitting... but you, the one with the kid, oh you are waiting all right, but patiently would NOT be the word that you would use to describe the experience. They want to touch things, talk to people, ask questions, go here, go there, sit in all of the seats in the waiting area, get a snack out of the machine, ask more questions, crawl on the floor, play with things that could break, get a drink, run through the room, ask MORE questions, go to the potty... my WORD!
It's true you are waiting, but patiently and "still"waiting is not what is happening. Can I get an Amen!?
When God allows us to be in a waiting period He sometimes lets us wait until we decide to be TOTALLY still... mind, body and soul. He sometimes lets us wait until we decide to really sit down, with no distractions and listen to Him with all that we are. "Still" waiting is hard. It means that our emotions (while still there) can not drive our decisions. It means that our own thoughts and ideas (while still there) can not be the thing that we rely on to understand God's will. It means that our actions need to be tempered by the Holy Spirit until we get an answer, and it means that our ambitions need to be prayed over so that they are in line with the Father's... making sure that they are not solely our own.
"Still" waiting does not usually just happen during a one day period and then... Your off... either! Unfortunately for the human nature God's waiting periods are sometimes lengthy. In the age of microwaves and drive through windows we do not have to wait more than a minte for many things. But God's wrist watch seems to tick along at different intervals for different people as they wait on Him. One recent waiting period for me has been well over a year. We have friends who have waited for much longer and it is very hard!
I guess the thing that I am FINALLY learning is that it is all about the journey with God. He DOES care about those things that we long for. He tells us to tell Him the desires of our hearts so I KNOW He cares, but it isn't the end result that He is most interested in. It is the time that we spend before Him.. talking.. listening.. crying.. loving...growing.. learning.. and seeking Him that most interests Him. He does want to give His children good things, but He also wants us to rely on Him every single day as we wait.
"Still" waiting. There's some good in it. If you would leave a comment if you are waiting and let me pray for you and with you. It would be an honor to lift you to the throne of the Father.
Comments
Awesome blog! I mentioned you on my blog today. Thanks for sharing your heart.
Blessings!
Tracy