Waiting On God

It's amazing how many choices we make in a day, down to the places we go, the people we surround ourselves with, the ways we react, the words we say, and much more. This means we have countless opportunities to please God with the choices we make - but the problem is some choices are harder to make than others. Another problem is that we want answers right away. In our fast-paced culture where we have so many things at our fingertips, it's not always easy to wait on God when we seek direction.

I can recall times in my life when I made decisions without feeling like God was with me. I might have prayed about it and asked for guidance, but when I didn't hear His answer, I went ahead with what I thought was best anyway. I always ended up feeling like I was taking one step forward and three steps back. I chose what I wanted and maybe what I thought was best, but eventually it didn't work and I was back at square one. I didn't realize at the time how God was trying to use those moments of waiting to strengthen my relationship with Him.

Throughout the past few years of studying education, I've learned instructional strategies to use in a classroom, one of them being "wait-time." It's the period of time the teacher gives the students to process the question before calling on them. I couldn't help but think about this and relate it to the amount of time God gives us before He reveals and confirms answers. I scanned through my old notes and noticed the intended outcome for using this strategy in the classroom is focus. The teacher doesn't demand an answer immediately, but allows the students time to focus and process through the question. I believe God has us wait for His answers sometimes because it's in those times when we can focus intently on Him, seeking His will and patiently relying on Him to lead the way.

I found myself in a situation recently where I didn't have an answer; I knew I couldn't figure it out own my own and realized it wouldn't be something I figured out immediately. I chose to give it over to God and continue to do so everyday. In all honesty, I still don't know what the outcome will be, but I am amazed at how much peace God's given me as He uses this time of uncertainty to bring me closer to Him. He's been showing me just how much better it is to wait on Him and then move forward in the direction He leads.

Part of waiting on God includes accepting whatever answer He gives us and then opening our hearts and minds to following His lead. When students in a classroom give their answer, the teacher typically reassures and praises them with words like "yes," "you're right," or "very good." What happens when the student gives the wrong answer? The teacher has to correct and redirect them - not because they don't love them and not because they want to reject their idea, but because they know it's in the student's best interest to give them the right answer. The teacher knows what the students will need to learn in order to succeed and they correct them because they care for them. God does the same for us. He already knows the outcomes of the choices we have yet to make. He sees beyond what we are capable of seeing ourselves and because of this, He knows what's best for us. It's up to us to trust in Him and in His timing. If we follow him wholeheartedly, He will always guide our journey and lead us to the answers we need.  

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary..." - Isaiah 40:31, KJV

Blessed Beyond Belief

At some point, we all go through dry phases of life. We aren't necessarily depressed, but aren't thriving or fueled by anything either. It's in these moments where we tend to grumble and complain. We are less proactive, we care less about important things, and our problems seem worse than they really are. We forget how much we have to be thankful for.

I was praying this morning as I was cleaning and I began to thank God for whatever came to my mind; I was reminded of something that I already knew - I am so incredibly blessed! Yet sometimes in my selfishness, I forget that.

I've been trying to read up on the news more consistently and it's hit me recently how much hurt exists in the world. The stories are so tragic that it makes my little problems seem so insignificant and I feel guilty for my lack of thankfulness. The beautiful thing about Christ is that He cares about all our struggles, no matter how small. He wants to pull us out of those low places and draw us closer to Him, yet we can be so distracted by the problem itself that we forget to look up.

It's easy to become dissatisfied and stuck in a place we don't want to be, but it's also easier than we think to escape it. One of the most effective ways is to simply focus our energy and our thoughts on Christ, praying not only for ourselves, but for those who don't have all the blessings we do.

Have you ever had the opportunity to meet someone who has so little in this world, yet is so incredibly thankful for what they do have? I want to share a story that really touched me. My brother and the rest of the guys in his band went to Africa a couple years ago. They visited a shelter/trama center in the Congo that housed women and children; most of the women had gone there in order to escape their villages. The LRA, which is the militia led by Joseph Kony, would take over their villages - killing people, raping women, and abducting children to train for the militia. Essentially, the women at the trauma centers had run away to save their lives. Here's the interesting thing: they were filled with joy and thankfulness because they found hope in God. Can you imagine going through that and still praising the name of the Lord? If you are interested in hearing more of their stories, visit the link at the bottom of this post.

Here's a challenge: take a few minutes each day to fill a page in a journal of what you are thankful for. My sister shared this idea with me several months ago and at first I wondered how I would fill an entire page. It wasn't long before I realized that when I really thought about all the blessings in my life, it was hard to keep it to only one page. Life is too short to miss out on living a joyful life because we don't recognize the blessings we already have.

Psalm 106:1 - Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.

http://sister.americanbible.org/