Waiting
17/08/2019 17:06
It was a joy to catch up with a friend recently at my favourite bookshop in the city. The hours disappeared in a flash as we sipped steaming mugs of tea and coffee, catching up on each other’s lives. When it was lunch-time I chose my favourite meal there—a hot chicken roll with sweet chillie sauce. Yum. It has never failed to satisfy me, just as my special friendship with Melissa has never failed to bless me. Later, we hugged each other goodbye, my soul richer for having spent that time together.
After a happy browse in the bookshop, I reached the bus stand energised. I discovered that my bus would be there any moment—a glad surprise! I stood there expectantly, ready to hail it, but the moments ticked by and no bus came. With a sigh, I sat down on a bench nearby and checked my purchases, my heart thumping with delight as I scanned the books I'd soon dip into. I then got up to check how long I had to wait for the next bus. This time, even before I could reach the real-time screen, my bus turned up. Hooray! I hopped on, found my favourite seat and sat down, smiling. My wait was over.
How do you manage life’s waiting seasons? Are you able to relax and go with the flow? Or do you find it too taxing? I remember peering down the highway of life when I was young, tapping my fingers till Mr Right arrived but he seemed to take forever. I was a ripe old 26 years old when he did—my first and only boyfriend who soon turned into fiancé then husband. It seemed a long wait at the time, but during that wonderful season I’d enjoyed learning what it meant to do life with Jesus. I’d also made many precious friendships, adding layer upon layer of joy into my being, like a delicious multi-layered cake.
When my beloved and I went to England as newlyweds, finding myself a job seemed to take forever. My husband was a student so we desperately needed the money. Consequently, my eight month job-hunt felt like eight difficult years. Now I look back and smile - I had a lot to learn then. I still have much to learn. Decades later, I continue to wait on God for other promises to be fulfilled. He knows it takes a great deal to make someone like me more patient, for my soul to grow, for my character to be refined.
Yes, I’ve discovered that my waiting periods have a purpose. I’ve learnt that God’s not a genie who's there to do my bidding. I've learnt that this faith walk is one to be grasped and lived out one day at a time. I've learnt that He asks me to trust Him completely. Recently, when praying with a friend, God reminded me of a special request that has been on my heart for 28 long years. My friend had a word of knowledge for me—a perfect gift from our Father. As she prayed with conviction, my present day angst fell away, a heavy winter coat slipping off my shoulders, because now with eyes of faith I saw as God saw. Her words had the Spirit’s anointing and God’s truth transformed me, like autumn rains that filled a dry parched creek.
Are you waiting on God for His answers? You can trust Him. We don’t always understand His ways but we do know that His heart is good. God’s nature is love so we can be sure that our waiting periods will bear good fruit as we lean on Him. In fact waiting seasons are often growing seasons and the rewards only experienced later. Don’t forget—He who calls you is always faithful. May God give you hope, strength and courage to look ahead with eyes of faith. And as you wait, may you be transformed into His likeness, the likeness of Jesus.
I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:13-14
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory,
are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory,
which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Cor 3:18
