Wait for
the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
My mother and sister were
artisans when it came to counted cross-stitch. Carefully and meticulously, they added stitch by tiny stitch until the
blank canvas was transformed into a stunning masterpiece.
The process was slow and tedious,
at least in my eyes. I took a stab at
it, but soon I would toss it aside. Did
I mention I am not a very patient person? I love to draw, cook, redecorate, sew large items, recover chairs, and
the like. Anything where I can see the
results quickly.
I’ve tried to raise vegetables
but the constant pampering of the plants for weeks at a time quickly grew
tiresome.
So when I beseeched God on a
specific request, I sensed him telling me to wait. Wait? Me?
Lord, how long do I wait? A
month? Maybe even a year?
I decided to settle in for a
while like the Israelites when they were exiled to Assyria. God told them, Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce
(Jeremiah 29:28). So that is what I am
doing. Well, except for the gardening.
Israel’s situation was not
swiftly resolved. In fact, it would be
70 years (Jeremiah 29:10).
I have been waiting now for
several years. For a spontaneous person
like me, that has been quite a challenge!
How do I keep believing?
By
remembering the times God has been faithful to me in the past. It is because of those times that I know I
can trust him.
By
remembering his promises. Sometimes I
think he delays because he is waiting to see if we really believe his word.
By going
on with my everyday life. While hoping
for the future, I don’t want to miss all the wonderful things God is doing
right now.
If you are in a season of waiting
as I am, join me in living for today as we wait for our promises to be
fulfilled.
Terri
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