Waiting is Hard


 The society we live in today makes little allowance for waiting. We are taught to expect all things are for our good, as opposed to all things work together for our good. There's a difference. One provides instant gratification, the other takes time. There seems to be an attitude floating around today; one of entitlement, demanding that what I want is what I need - now. The right to pursue happiness has become the right to demand my own way.

 The young person who struggles with patience and life's journey of waiting almost can't be blamed for their struggle. This is what they've grown up with. It is what they see all around them. American Idols rising almost instantly to success. A free order at Starbuck's if the drive-through service takes too long. Instant food and almost instant stomach aches. In general, we've been geared up to get what we expect and expect it quickly.

 Waiting is hard.

 But God leads us in a good way. He says, be patient, wait upon Me. Let Me bring you through the process and as you endure to the end, you will become what I want you to be; a model of my glory. Jesus prayed that the glory He had would be given to us. But there is a process behind becoming a container of that glory. A process that takes time. And sometimes we find ourselves becoming impatient with ourselves.

 When God is silent, waiting is hard.
When the dullness of life lays on us like a wet beach towel, waiting is hard.
When our efforts seem to yield little, waiting is hard.
When someone we love is suffering , waiting is hard.
When God's promises seem delayed, waiting is hard.

 Sometimes it can seem that life is one big wait. We wait to find that someone special and wait to marry them. We wait for that career that results from waiting to graduate college. We wait to retire. We wait and we wait and we wait.

 But God says, wait upon Me. Hope in me. And that's where we gain strength in our waiting, because ultimately all waiting is based in hope. And hope outside of God is wasted waiting. So, as you wait, wait for the Lord. He is good and His plans for you are good. And know, eventually all your waiting will be over and the ultimate destination will finally arrive.

  (Paintings by Audrey Furcinitti)

Comments

  1. UnknownJune 5, 2014 at 7:20 AM

    Joe - So true that we live in an age of "entitlement."
    I think, sometimes, that the waiting is designed to pull the idolatry of self out of us, and redirect our eyes onto Him!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
Fixer-Upper I have a soft spot for houses that have potential, or as some people like to call them, fixer uppers. So does my daughter Kaity. She inherited that part of me. I look at a shack and see a mansion. I walk through overgrowth and see a beautiful garden. The viewed as hopeless thrills me; makes my what-could-be senses tingle.   Not everyone looks at a blank canvas and sees a masterpiece. Thank God. I'm grateful for those of us endowed with the gift of planning and practicality; those not afraid to ask the tough questions. This world needs not only dreamers, but anchors as well.  My wife and I recently went to look at a house that Kaity and her husband Paul were considering buying. We drove up the slight hill to the house, turned left (eyeing the neighbor's do not trespass sign) and parked on the property. I think my wife's heart may have sunk a little. My heart soared. She saw the work, the investment required, the dirty kitchen stove. I saw a brand new yard,...
Read more
Image
No More We walk into a store, heading straight for the sale item, holding our coupon; excited to get such a good deal on something we've been wanting for at least a month or more. But when we get there, the item is gone - no more left. It happens often. No more cappuccino muffins at the bakery. No more fresh coffee; it's too close to closing time. No more money to pay the bills. No more, no more, no more. But what if I told you that the two most beautiful words I heard today were "No More"? What if I told you that those words actually bring hope and not disappointment? Freedom and not frustration. Joy and not sadness. Today especially I look to those words. Today they've taken on special meaning and provided strength. Today has caused me to look to those words for hope, freedom, and joy. No more. What did He say? Do you remember? No more sorrow. No more tears. No more loss. No more broken, no more ... For those of us who are the forerunners, who ha...
Read more
An underlying culture exists in America today, a pattern of thought that says, "At all costs, avoid pain." And we, as the church, must take care to not let our understanding of scripture be shaped or influenced by such a world view. For from this culture we have seen such pseudo-spiritual doctrines as "name it and claim it" spring up to entice the body of Christ. We’ve incorrectly divided scriptures such as "By His wounds we are healed" to wrongly mean that we shall never suffer disease of any kind. Yet it was the disease of sin that was defeated on the cross.  Comfort is king in our "now" society and we must take care that we don't adopt that attitude in ourselves. I'm going through a dark night of my soul. Right now in my life. It's uncomfortable, and I want it to end. And I suppose that my desire for comfort, release, and escape goes beyond just the cultural norm of today. Our human nature doesn't embrace suffering. Understan...
Read more