Waiting...

Waiting...and waiting some more...waiting...

Meeting my son's family today in Alabama - our half way point. I'm so excited as I anticipate reunion complete with grands, hugs, and kisses. We arrive at the motel only to find out...there's been traffic issues and they are still three hours away. Ugh! So not what I was hoping and anticipating for today. Those hugs and kisses are now on hold...as I wait.

Consider the following situations: waiting on a ride at an amusement park or in line at the grocery store, waiting for a certain letter in the mail or on a judge's decision, waiting for a loved one arriving home from the military, waiting on a doctor's report or a relationship to be reconciled, etc. You get the picture? I'm sure we can all agree...at times waiting can get pretty uncomfortable. Sometimes it might even feel gut-wrenching painful.

While I'm waiting, I think about how God uses such moments (Yes, right now, he's allowing me to think about this!) to help us grow and mature. During these seemingly dreadful times we can become anxious or we can be still and focus upon "more." What happens if we use those moments to focus on God, his mercy and grace, or his will? As I sit here waiting, (I'll admit, I've passed the anxious stage at this point!) I take a deep breath and I wonder what tragedy God might have saved my family from and I stop to thank God for keeping us from the many unknowns in life. It's true, we have no idea what all he saves us from!

I recall the verse in Isaiah (40:31), "but they that wait upon the Lord..." and somehow I see how a time of waiting can be good for me even though at times I may feel much differently. When we wait on God to bring our hopes and dreams to reality, to bring our trials and stormy nights to an end, to work out our impossible situations, to answer our prayers for healing, etc., we can be assured something good will come out of it. After all, another verse reminds me that "...all things work together for the good."

So, if you're in a waiting period right now, I invite you to join me. Take a deep breath. Close your eyes and think about the big picture that we sometimes don't take the time to notice. God is faithful. Let's use this moment in time to rest, refocus and gain strength and maturity for the road ahead. And when my family gets here, I'll jump up and down with excitement. I know you too will be relieved, excited and  grateful when your waiting period comes to pass. Let's rejoice together. Let's see God in EVERYTHING! It's a challenge, but so worth it. Blessings upon you and yours as you wait...