Thursday, January 21, 2010

Waiting . . . And Waiting . . . And Waiting

Is there anything at all worse than waiting? Seems like everywhere you go, inevitably you end up waiting - in traffic, in line at the grocery store, and, of course, I always get behind the guy that has a bar code that won't scan so that have to call a price check and, well, that's just RIDICULOUS! (Can ya tell I'm not too patient???) I wait for my kids - hurrying them along rarely works. Every year I can't wait for summer vacation to come . . . and then every year I can't wait for it to be over! :o)

I've started doing some walking lately and one of the songs that have become sort of my theme is "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller. Many of you know it from the movie Fireproof. I'm one of the few living, breathing humans left on this earth that has yet to see the movie, but the song itself has moved me greatly. This is the first verse and chorus: (I've bold-faced some of the words that speak the most to me.)

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on you, Lord
I am hopeful
I'm waiting on you lord
The wait is painful
but patiently I will wait
I will move ahead bold and confident
taking every step in obedience

While I'm waiting (I will serve you)
While I'm waiting (I will worship)
While I'm waiting (I will not fade)
I'll be running the race
even while I wait
.

Waiting is painful, isn't it??? I think of children at Christmastime that can't even hardly sit still. Oooooo, they just can't wait!!! (And, to tell you the truth, I can't either!) Waiting is especially painful when we are waiting on the Lord. Does this sound familiar to anyone? "Okay, God, if I don't get an answer from You by 5pm, I'm going to know without a doubt your answer to this situation is (fill in the blank)." Sometimes that may work, but most of the time for me it's just to ease the burden of waiting. I mean, at least I'm doing something . . . even if it's not really God's will, right? WRONG! I'm being completely honest with you when I say that I still have a lot to learn on my faith walk, but at this point in my life I'm closer with the Lord than I've ever been before and I can tell you from my own stupid experiences that there is nothing, NOTHING in this world more satisfying than OBEDIENTLY waiting on the Lord.

How many of you are just waiting to run a race? Ha! NOT ME! I'm got three totally "Wonder Woman" friends that are waiting (or have recently waited) to run a race. (Waving at you, Dawn, Alice-Lyle, and Jen!) Kate, my main character in my book, is involved in a race. Races are so symbolic of a Christian's time here on this earth, or even just through a struggle they might be facing, because of the preparation and training that goes into it, the journey of the race itself, and the wonderful, elated (and I imagine exhausted) feeling when you've finished. Bottom line is you have to keep moving while you're waiting for whatever it is you're waiting for.

So . . . what are you waiting for??? A job promotion, maybe? A wedding? A baby? Our Seniors at our school, I know are just waiting to graduate. It's such an exciting time. Maybe you're waiting for healing - physically, emotionally, spiritually. That's what my characters in The Heart's Journey Home are waiting for, too, each in their own different way. You all know what I'm waiting for . . . MY BOOKS!!! Ha! Ha! (And I'm like that kid at Christmas, too!) But lately I've been waiting for something else, too. Maybe it's because I have this really special thing about to happen for me, but more than ever before I'm waiting for Heaven so I can fall on my knees at my Savior's feet and then fall into my Daddy's waiting arms.

PRAYER REQUESTS AND UPDATES: Please pray for the family and friends of Janice Brew who went home to be with the Lord earlier this week leaving behind a husband and a 16-year-old daughter. I ask you dear friends that you pray mightily that Janice's family and friends would experience a peace that passes understanding, that they will be comforted by the Lord's promises in the days, weeks, and months ahead. Those of you that have lost a loved one know that this wait is the hardest of all. I ask you to pray that they can keep running the race while they wait to be reunited with Janice in the presence of the Lord.

Update on Kitrick Schrader: He's still in the hospital, but out of ICU! Praise the Lord!!! Please continue to pray that his recovery is quick and his healing is complete.

Until next time, dear friends, I pray that we can all obediently serve the Lord and run this race . . . while we wait.

3 comments:

Brandee said...

Jen I love this post today! That song is one I have been playing on my itunes for quite some time now. It keeps me focused that while I am waiting on things to happen in God's perfect timing my job is to pray and keep running my race. Keep on daily walking in obedience. I picked up at Lifeway yesterday a book called "Pray Big for Your Marriage." I have the one called "Pray Big for Your Child" that I love and noticed the author, Will Davis Jr. also has one on marriage. In there is a specific chapter about praying for unsaved spouses. Oh God is working Jen! I am seeing it everyday. My job is to keep praying and keep running my race with my eyes on Christ and being the model of His light and love in my home. John turns 40 next year, one year from yesterday and my prayer is that this year God will draw him in huge ways and as he goes into this next decade, as he has this milestone birthday that his life will be totally made new. It will happen! God is moving and working, so for now I keep serving while I am waiting and loving this man with all my heart :)

Love you friend, be patient ;)

Edna said...

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Melinda said...

I love that song....and its featured in "fireproof" the movie which is Excellent!