Not our home

When God says "Wait!"

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, 

and lean not on your own understanding"

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

and He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5&6

"But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

We've all had dreams and ideas over which we've prayed and sought God's answers.  We love it when He says "Yes" to what we're asking, and even though we don't like being told "No" it's a definitive answer.

But what about the times when He tells us "Wait"?

To say that I am not struggling with this answer to one of my long held dreams wouldn't be true.  The reality that something I have been praying about for many years, (and now having seen it twice nearly become a reality) only to be told once again to wait, has left me confused and a bit frustrated. I have earnestly sought to follow God's lead each step of the way, and have offered numerous times to lay it down and walk away if it isn't something He'd have me pursue. Yet each time I have done so, He has opened pathways before me and I followed them....to here.

And now, once again, I am being told to wait.

Even writing these words makes me sigh. I'm deeply disappointed, but desperately want God's will above my own, so I wait.

Waiting is hard, especially when it's something we deeply desire.  There's always the possibility that God's answer of "wait" will turn into "no". It requires deep trust that He is always faithful no matter what His answer is to our prayers.

When I was 17 my eight year old nephew was dying of cancer.  I begged God not to take this sweet child from us, but He said no. Fast forward twelve years later, and I was begging Him for the life of my own son who was gravely ill with kidney disease, the doctors having warned us that he wouldn't live past the age of eight. Why God chose to take my brother's child home to heaven, and allowed my child to live is one that will be answered when I finish my journey here on earth and stand before Him. He has answered many prayers over the years "yes", "no" and "wait". Each step of the way I have seen His love demonstrated, even when I didn't understand His answer.

So it is, although I am a bit confused and frustrated by the current "wait" sign flashing before me on this journey to the next phase in my life, I can wait patiently. I know God's plans are always good, and far superior to anything I can even hope for or think. If He says to wait, I'll wait. If He says to move, I'll move. While I'm waiting on the next step to be revealed I will ask Him in what other ways He would like me to serve Him.  Waiting in a different sense of the word.

For I know in whom I believe. I am confident He is faithful to complete the work that He's begun. My job is to stay on the path He places before me and simply say "Thy will be done." Because His ways are always the best.

May He be glorified in all I say and do.

A light in the darkness

"For we are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5 NASB

Lately it seems that the darkness in this world is increasing at an alarming rate.  One news story of tragedy is barely delivered before another pushes it to the category of "old news".  The number of significantly awful events has been unnerving over the past few months. The latest, the shooting of innocents as they attended their Sunday morning church service, left me shattered with sorrow.  It's not that the other tragedies of floods and fires hadn't already made me grieve for those affected by them, but there was something about this particular incident that hit a deeper nerve. The fact that the pastor's 14 year old daughter was killed and a 6 year old boy seriously injured brought it much closer to home.  I have a granddaughter that turned 15 this year and two 6 year old grandsons. They and their cousins regularly attend church on Sundays and Wednesdays, as well as other church sponsored events, with their parents and their grandfather and me.

Adding to the horror of the story, within minutes it became a hotbed of political discussion about gun rights.

But the narrative is NOT about whether or not people have the right to arm themselves against the dangers in this world. It's about the sin that causes people to deliberately harm others, and the response of the Christian community to sin.

When tragedies affect the believer our response has to be different than the world's.

Throughout the Bible there are accounts of sorrow upon sorrow visited upon the children of the LORD. The written record of their ability to turn their eyes away from the difficulty and to trust God's sovereignty, created the road map for each of us to follow.

If we so choose.

I think it is significant to note here that the response of many in the last few months of adversity has been to trust God in spite of the circumstances. Although it may not be recorded as "news worthy" by the reporting news stations, the network of believers have shared the truth through e-mails and social media. I have seen first hand the response to hurricane Harvey by the church we belonged to when we lived in Texas.  Even though several within the church suffered their own losses, they banded together in an effort to reach out into the greater community to help. The church became, not only a command post of volunteers who have worked tirelessly to bring repairs to those in need, but far greater, a light in the darkness to those whose only question is "Why?"

I have seen a similar response from those whose lives have been forever altered through the shooting tragedy in Southerland Texas. It isn't coincidence that these events both happened within a short time frame of one another in an area that has been called 'the Bible belt".

Even in the midst of the darkening skies of a sin stained world, God is shining His light. He shines brightest through vessels who are willing to be transparent.

So what's our response going to be when we come face to face with the ever increasing wickedness that tries to hide the truth from those around us?

"If serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my house we will serve the LORD."(Joshua 24:15 NIV)

And this little light of mine?  I'm going to let it shine!

May God grant you the courage and strength necessary to become a transparent vessel He can use, and may He bless you exceedingly, abundantly above all you can ask or think.

To Him be the glory forever.