Wait.
Four simple letters. One powerful word. I hate waiting, don’t you? I hate it because of my impatience and my inability to know what is going on at all times. I thank God that He has been working on me to teach me how to wait on Him. It is a work in progress, but I see Him working every day.
He seems to put certain situations on my path that require my attention and my patience. Whether it’s handling crying children, internet at work that doesn’t work all the time for what I need to do my job, physical healing, school, reading a book, saving money, waiting at a red light, etc… These little moments all build up into one big thing. Yes, there is so much that can be said for the fact that there are other HUGE things that require patience, but the little things are where patience is really found and understood.
I can remember many days where I would get so stressed out or so worked up about something not working or happening. Granted, sometimes things are time sensitive and they require immediate attention. Still, in those moments, I have come to learn that I need to remember that I serve the God of the universe. My reluctance to handle obstacles with grace will not make things better. Fighting fire with fire doesn’t help in those kinds of situations.
This is where I see the practice of trusting and waiting on God for everything in life grows. It works just as your daily walk with the Lord should impact your daily practices. If you learn to trust and wait on the Lord as you grow in your faith, then you will have learned the task of waiting. I totally believe in the sovereignty of God and His infinite power. I believe that He is in control and has written the story of all His children. Waiting on Him isn’t always sitting on the sidelines waiting for His nudge or His affirmation that you are to do something. I have found that sometimes it’s the getting up and doing what He wants me to do.
To just step out and trust that God will direct your steps is an act of faith and grace. It isn’t something that will come naturally. Trusting Him and waiting on Him is something that He teaches us. Our souls and our being should put all hope and all faith in the Lord. To hold onto the faith that God will give us all that He has planned for us is not trivial nor is it impossible. “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord. More than those who watch for the morning—Yes, more than those who watch for the morning.” – Psalm 130:5-6
My prayer is to learn to always have patience when I am especially impatient because more than anything, I want to choose hope and grace over the cost of my witness of impatience. Yes, people are going to see the real me when it comes to my weaknesses. My discipline for myself is to be focused on Christ all the time so that when others witness my weakness, they can’t help but see God through it all.
So, there it is. Waiting and watching with more hope than those who watch for the morning.
