Waiting…

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I hate to wait!  Lines in the grocery store, rides at an amusement park, packages due to arrive and the list goes on.  I know part of it is due to my culture…we want and are trained to expect things right away…fast food, teller machines, online orders that can be expedited, instant (fill in the blank), etc.  Another cause for me personally is simply a lack of patience.

Many of you may be asking yourself, “Why is Thomi even going there?”  Well, funny you should ask.  I have been reading in Lamentations 3:25-36:

The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to anyone who seeks help from him. “It is good to continue to hope and wait silently for the LORD to save us. It is good for people to endure burdens when they’re young. They should sit alone and remain silent because the LORD has laid these burdens on them. They should put their mouths in the dust. Maybe a reason to hope exists. They should turn their cheeks to the one who strikes them and take their fill of insults. “The Lord will not reject such people forever. Even if he makes us suffer, he will have compassion in keeping with the richness of his mercy. He does not willingly bring suffering or grief to anyone, crush any prisoner on earth underfoot, deny people their rights in the presence of the Most High God, or deprive people of justice in court. The Lord isn’t happy to see these things.

(Lam 3:25-36)

 

What I read contradicts my flesh.  It says to wait…and not just wait, but wait patiently.  God even goes so far to say that it is “good” to wait, to endure burdens, to seek solitude and listen to what God has to say.  This has been quite a challenge for me.  However, as I seek to understand I continually am reminded that His ways are not my ways and His thoughts are not my thoughts.  I am actually finding times that I am taking advantage of the waiting times…praying and or reading when my the internet goes down or when I am “stuck ” at the border trying to cross back into the U.S. (this can sometimes take from 45 minutes to 3 hours.)  I keep my PDA up to date with podcasts that I want to listen to…I have been listening to Erwin McManus’ Mosaic podcast and it is always challenging and thought provoking.  Sometimes, my waiting time is now seen as an opportunity to simply listen to what God has to say to me.

I still find myself “losing” my patience, but I am also seeing some victories in this arena as well…”finding” the patience and peace that can only come from The Father!!!.

 

By the way, thank you for reading these blogs…your comments have been much appreciated.