The moment you’ve all been waiting for…
Introducing Kimberly McGraw from her blog, Life Worth the Living!! If you want to know more about her, click here and check out her Author Spotlight.
Without further ado…
The other day I was standing in a checkout lane with three people ahead of me. I had already scoped out the other lanes to see which were going faster and but there were only a few open and every one of them had a line of people as long as my own.
At this point in the game it was too risky switching lanes. I knew I was going to have to wait it out. But I was in a hurry and it appeared that everyone and their brother were stocking their pantries whereas I was standing there with only one item in my hand. One.
Now I’m generally a nice person. If I see someone with a few items in their hands and I’ve a full cart, I will be kind and let that person go ahead of me. But that day it was obviously I was the only one there who thought that way.
So I stood in my aisle, nonchalantly glancing at the extra items stocked conveniently at the register just in case you, the customer, forgot something or happen to be an impulse buyer who realized just how much you need a glasses repair kit for your purse.
I stood there reminding myself I was going to get through this. I was not going to lose my cool or express on my face just how annoyed I was, waiting there for a ridiculous amount of time.
Until the person directly ahead of me, decided to do a price check on every other item she wanted to buy. After about the third item, it took every ounce of Christianity in my body to keep the rearing sigh of frustration from billowing forth like a gust of stormy wind.
By the time I reached the cashier, I been standing in line nearly 20 minutes. The smile on my face was forced and the kindness in my voice was as fake as a tan in December.
If you haven’t already noticed, I am not a very patient person. Just ask my kids when I’m driving them anywhere.
In my defense, I TRY to be patient. But I am my mother’s daughter and I’ve been living too close to Chicago for close to 20 years. Those are two, BIG strikes against me.
But I also know patience is a virtue. That the Lord has said we are to wait on Him. We are to WAIT. In my dictionary app, that means we are “to remain inactive or in a state of repose, as until something expected happens”.
That definition does not excite me. It actually does the opposite. But it is what God desires for me, regardless of my opinion on the matter.
This is especially hard when I’m praying for something. Whether it be for a tangible need or a spiritual direction. I want that answer right away. Yesterday would be most convenient.
But I’ve been at this long enough to know His answers rarely come fast. If they come at all.
You see, God does not promise us results. He does not guarantee answers. All He says is to wait on Him.
But I have learned—most times the hard way—that when we do wait on the Lord, when we do not force our way, He comes through above and beyond what we could have imagined.
Oftentimes our impatience breeds speedy results that do little to satisfy us. But when God’s ways are observed in our lives, they are humbling reminders that He knows best what we need, when we need it.
But it’s hard to do. Maybe that’s why it’s in the Bible more than once. Or maybe that’s there for my sake. :)
What have you been praying for that is hard to wait on? Do you feel like God is working on your patience by making you wait for everything? You’re not alone. Type in the words “wait on the Lord” and see how many times others have had to wait, too. You’d be surprised.
God does not work on our timetable. And I’m glad He doesn’t. Yes, I said it. I’m glad. Because I’ve been the recipient of some pretty incredible blessings when I’ve done the hard thing and waited.
I encourage you to wait. How ever long it takes. Wait. And let God flex His muscles in His time.
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31
Thank you for reading!!
Monday Motivation from Yours Truly, be sure to click here if you don’t know God and His ability to bless you better than you ever could have dreamed. If you don’t know Jesus as your Saviour, you won’t have access to this kind of blessing and peace in waiting.
Just a reminder: if you liked what you read, check out Kimberly McGraw’s blog Life Worth the Living on her website and be sure to subscribe.
My regular blog, Monday Motivations, will continue as usual next Monday. Be sure to subscribe so that you can be the first to know when it is posted!
Happy Monday, everyone!!
