Why Wait?

“Mom, you know I hate to wait!” I had just delivered some disappointing news to my daughter and she didn’t like what she had heard. The fact was, I didn’t like what I said! I don’t like to wait either; especially on things you really want?

How do you best communicate with a twelve year-old that sometimes God does amazing things when we wait? We shared some tears as I tried to think of just how I could give her faith and hope.

I made the story of Abraham and Sarah my starting point. God promised them that HE would bring them a son. But…they didn’t wait for God to do that. They questioned Him and His timing. The mess they created was a surrogate son named Ishmael. Going negative with my daughter seemed to have had little to no impact on her. The consequences they suffered didn’t have the punch that I was looking for.

As we continued on our journey to school, I began to reflect on my own history with God. Driving through the neighborhood reminded me of the many times when I have made a conscience choice to let the Lord do the “driving” instead of me. Maybe getting more personal, even vulnerable with her would work. I started sharing with her my own stories of waiting with God.

Wanting desperately to go to college, I heard my first real “wait” at 18. The Lord showed me His path was for me to go to Bible school, which laid the most amazing foundation for a life-long love relationship with Him. I could have never known how He would blow me away with the new revelation of His unconditional and perfect love for me at that school. I wouldn’t trade those precious months for any college degree.

That story led to waiting when I thought the right man had come along to marry. He was a Christian. Seemed to have a heart for ministry, just like me. But instead God said “Wait, Lynn, now is not the time.” Months later He completely blew me away with His choice for the man of my heart and leader of my home; giving me the desires of my heart.

As I told that story, I remembered when my husband and I were offered a promotion to a BIG city with more money, a bigger house…more of everything. But as we lingered over dinner, we asked ourselves what we should do. We sensed we were to wait. Just a few short months later, Greg was offered a promotion to a city we had always loved; a city that my parents had moved to and where my father was dying of cancer. What an incredible gift from the Lord to be able to spend the last four years of Dad’s life on this earth just a few short miles away.

Wait is what I heard when I filled out an application to be on a speaker team located over a thousand miles from my home. Having no idea why He could possibly not want me to be a part of such a wonderful group, I put the application away. A year later, He allowed me to partner with Provers 31, only three miles from my home.

As I began to tell my daughter my story with God and His goodness that I have seen over and over and over again, I found myself giggling; walking in His blessing is just so exciting and adventurous! Rehearsing my history of being blessed by God when I listened and obeyed, filled up with heart with anticipation of just what He would have in store in several areas of my waiting now. Just because we grow older, it doesn’t change the fact that sometimes His answer is simply, “Not now”.

The next day, my emotions were different (that isn’t much of a surprise, is it?) I cried and cried and then cried some more. Some times, many times, the road of waiting gets long. It is hard to not grow discouraged; beginning to think that He just isn’t going to give us our hearts desire. Like Abraham and Sarah, we’re tempted to take things into our own hands. “If I just…” Others who love us may in fact be encouraging us to take another route. Though it hurts, though our hearts break; we continue to wait on God. Isaiah 30:18 “Blessed are all who wait for Him!” (NIV)

Father, When it comes to waiting, sometimes I feel much like a little kid in a candy store. The things I want, I want now! I want to cry, throw a temper tantrum and beg. Yet I know you are a Father who is all about the best and often that best comes on the heels of waiting. Please help me to wait and watch; knowing that you are always at work on my behalf and most of all to glorify Jesus! Amen

Do you have a story of waiting and finding the waiting worth it all? Please share with us and we will all encourage each other! Just click on “comments” below.

Lynn