Beloved, It is hard to wait. Prayer #6.

So, waiting is indeed difficult.  For me, as I was raised in an era where FAST FOOD was invented -- I believe that many of us around my age do get annoyed when  answers don't come fast enough.  

For me, as a teacher, I have 180 days with a student.  I really only have 100 days, if I am lucky, before the BIG ASSESSMENT which seems to  designate if I was a success or a failure.  I mean, if you are a teacher -- that is  somewhat true, but not really in my opinion.    So, time is NOT a luxury I can afford with students nowadays.   When I started teaching...there was time.  Now...not so much.  But this blog is not about that, and truly...I don't teach my students to pass that one test.  I teach my students how to be successful in what is expected of them now and that test may be a  necessary evil -- but it does not seem to be going away. 

 So, we do work at being our BEST in trying to do our BEST.  But again... this is NOT about FSA testing.  

This blog is about waiting.  With God.... 

My mom says it takes "long enough" when a baby is within the womb.  I call this long enough waiting.  You are pregnant --9 months or 40 weeks-- and that baby comes when he or she is good and ready.  Basically when you just can't take it anymore...that little one finally makes his or her way out.  In the past year, I got to witness my granddaughter being born and 'educing' labor is MUCH different now compared to 27 years ago.  Now, with first time moms, the doctors really don't let you go past the 40 weeks.  Interesting.  

I think that happens in our lives in other areas.  We wait and wait on the phone with a bank or the cable person long enough until we just can't stand it any longer and then we want a manager to FIX it, or 'get it out'...whatever the situation may call for. Sort of like that OB/GYN and the baby educing.  

Oh, I am not really comparing a young's mom health and baby's welfare to waiting on the phone for a technician or  customer care rep...but what I am saying is that many of us wait and wait and we wait long enough until we just can't TAKE it any longer and then we PUSH for action.  

Or maybe this will resonate.  You are at a restaurant and your waitress has ignored you or taken WAY too long to get you the drinks you ordered and so finally, you have to get the manager to make something happen...sooner.  

But maybe we should have waited just ONE more day?  

There is pizza box waiting.  That is where you  are really hungry and order pizza for supper and it is sitting on the passenger seat and at the stop light, you just can't help yourself and you open the box and grab a slice and take a bite!  However, the light turns  green, that bite that smelled so good has now   burned the roof of your mouth and you desperately try to stay in the right lane as you put the slice back in the box and try to drive and swallow that burning hot piece of pizza that you can't really enjoy.  Nor will you enjoy the rest of the pizza as the roof of your mouth will let you know for days that you should have waited to take a bite.  

 If only you had waited.   

And we have the  three year old waiting with the why.  Ava's favorite word right now is "why?"  She wants to do whatever it is by herself and wants to DO it right then but when you try and persuade her to wait or to do something different, you get the question, "why?" 

 And as you explain she then asks the next question, "why?"  And this can go on for several moments until you either distract her from NOT doing what you were trying to avoid ....or you just GIVE in and let her do it by herself.  

I am trying to think of an example -- there are many, but most recently she wanted to POP the pod of laundry soap before it went into the washer.

  I am a teacher and I do like to make 'fun' out of laundry and so loading our washer and adding the soap is something Ava and I have done several times.   She has a stool, she can't reach the soap but knows the routine.  She no longer wants to try and EAT the smelly things we add to the laundry to wash out G-man's stink from the gym -- which is progress-- but she is still obsessed with trying to stick her fingernail into a pod to see what happens.  

And so, "no, Ava, please don't pop that -- the washer will make the soap come out".  
"Why?"      "Cause that is the way the people made these.  You see there are soap pods, so it is just easy to pop one into the washer."   "Why?"   "Cause people want stuff easier, otherwise I have to pour the soap into a cup and put it in the washer."  "Why?"   "Cause that is just... Ava, JUST put the soap in the washer". 

  And she did. 

 Conversation is over.    Stool put away and Ava goes to her chair to have a snack.  However, she comes to me in tears....trying to spit something out.  I am asking her what is wrong and why she looks like she is about to puke.......???

She HAD poked that soap pod with her fingers. ( I didn't realize it.)   So when she grabbed a few gummies to eat, they had a nice coating of liquid laundry soap on them.  

I smelled her teeth and her lips and then licked her finger and sure enough...I realized WHAT had transpired.  So, even with that guidance...she didn't really WAIT at all.  She poked that pod... and then suffered a consequence.  

If only she had listened to the wiser women and waited and NOT poked the problem.  

And there is are we there yet waiting.  I think this one is pretty self - explaining.  You know, you have seen it in the movies and maybe even experienced it in real life.  When the child or the nagging cousin in the back seat continues to ask, "are we there yet?"   "How much longer?"   And the outcome really doesn't come any faster with us asking every 2-5 minutes.   It is the same way with baking a pie, opening the oven door and checking it every 5 minutes does not make it cook faster.  It actually slows the process down cause you are letting the heat out.  Common sense.  


Waiting is difficult and HARD.  

Waiting on GOD and HIS timing can be ONE of the most aggravating and frustrating experiences and yet...  GOD is never late and He is always ON TIME. 

In the middle of our crisis or waiting -- we just can't SEE it right now.  

But, trust a wiser person ...trust God and His promise that HE will NOT withhold from You what He has prepared for You.

  It will come.....

This waiting will soon be over.  And you  will be a new season.  But there will be a season again where you will have to wait. 

 But the next time, YOU will probably trust God a little more and it may NOT be as difficult.   Then again, it could have its own 'hardness' and you may come back to this blog and seek God.  

Don't be like AVA and POKE that soap pod.... God knew you would and He will cover you , but it may delay something else.  

Don't be that one that grabs the bite of pizza because You couldn't just wait a few more moments.  Again.... you may get burned.  

Don't be the one that demands something happens RIGHT now, when indeed a few more moments may have been WHAT God intended.  

I remember getting a text from a dear cousin in  the middle of a trial.  And he said,  "God certainly has a way of timing.  It is interesting that God is never late and always on time.  But...wouldn't you just like God to be EARLY....this one time? "     I replied, "yes".... but I knew - God's timing was best. 


When my husband and I were in our healing phase, I would also say or speak about the fact that WHEN I got to heaven, I was going to ASK God WHY it had to TAKE so long.... to be quite honest, there was a period of almost 10 years of struggle.  But after a few years of stating that and thinking that....God healed us even more and now, that is NOT the question I am going to ask when I get to heaven.  I don't even care about that.  I know now...it HAD to be that Long.  AS when the healing came and it came slowly .... THAT was also God's timing, as that healing STUCK .  

So, for WHATEVER season YOU are in right now.  Whether you are waiting on God or trying to PUSH something to happen sooner, I would just ask you to LOOK up and seek God about it.  Let Him know you will trust His timing and not try to rush anything but that you will wait and you will wait in His peace.  In Jesus name.


Amen.  



Boy ..that was a LOT of Michelle talking there.  Not even an scripture this eve!!  I spent 24 hours - literally in bed sleeping and thinking the other night -- cause I had the flu.  I wanted the flu to be GONE and FAST...but that didn't happen.  I had to WAIT for the bug to run its course and to let the healing angels get me back on my feet.  So, I had a lot of time thinking when I was conscience.  But I did pray -- for the flu process to hurry and be gone.  

I guess my body needed a rest.  24 hours of rest.  I had to wait it out. 

But I also want to say this...  waiting is important, but again -- if you are in a situation where your children are in danger or YOU are in danger because of a circumstance or abusive spouse...God is NOT asking you to wait -- BE safe and move or get help.  Be sensible and real...  don't allow someone or something to endanger you.  

I do believe many people, men and women -- especially in marriages DO NOT wait on God and force divorce or whatever WAY too soon.  But I also know, that  even if we don't wait on God and push something through....as long as we continue to seek God, He will make a new way and help us bring beauty from those  ashes.  Even when we caused them ourselves.  He is a Great Father !