I've never been great at waiting. I'm the guy who analyzes the lines at the grocery store to see which one is moving best. If I walk into the town clerk’s office and there are more than 2 people in line, I’ll just turn around and come back another time. It's not that I'm impatient. I just don't like waiting! But isn't it interesting how God often gives us what we need, not what we like.
Rock Run Raiser is this Saturday. It’s not too late to sign up to help, or to run. www.rockrunraiser.com
I guess God has decided that I need to grow in this area because lately I've been doing a lot of waiting. Just yesterday I waited in two different hospitals. In the morning as Nicole had her test and in the afternoon as my son Chris had surgery, I waited. Then, of course, there is waiting for the test results, waiting for the follow up, waiting for the healing. Did I mention I'm not great at waiting?
But here is what I'm discovering. Often God is in the waiting. The waiting sometimes forces us to pause long enough to just be present with God. The waiting sometimes quiets us enough to hear the whispers of God. The waiting slows us down enough to really see what God is doing in our lives. Slowly but surely I am learning to appreciate the waiting. I wouldn't say I've gotten to the point where I like it, but I am coming to realize that it is an important part of my faith journey.
I'm also discovering that, often in ways unseen, God is at work in the waiting. As we wait for that job opening, for that person we want to share our lives with, for the healing, for our miracle, God is at work behind the scenes. Yes I am discovering that when it feels like I am just waiting, God is at work in the spiritual realm. He is working for our good even though we cannot yet see it. In the waiting I am learning all the more to trust that God is faithful.
There is a good chance we will all have our seasons of waiting. Let's make the most of those times. Let's use the quiet times to listen for God's voice and to grow closer to Him. As the psalmist wrote “be still and know that I am God.”
I pray you have a blessed week. I look forward to us all being together this weekend as we finish up our series “Go Big.” God has something great for you this Sunday, maybe it’s just what you have been waiting for. You won't want to miss it.
God bless,
Pastor Steve
BTW, I’ve been trying to share updates on Nicole on Facebook, but I know not everyone sees that. So I wanted to share that we got the results of her first CT scan since she began chemo and the tumors on her liver are beginning to shrink. So while there is a ways to go, that is a positive step forward. Thank you for your continued prayers.