The Waiting
Watching the progress of Dorian up the east coast recently brought back the anxiety we felt in our own home last year. It has given me a great burden to pray for those in the cross hairs of storms. And Dorian hasn’t been the only red swirl on the weather map. Unlike tornadoes, hurricanes last longer and do more widespread damage because of the length of time they sweep over land. They also create a wider path of destruction. That means waiting hours or days for the storm to pass over, waiting for the danger to pass. As with the devastation in our country from forest fires, floods and destructive tornadoes, the length of time it takes for an area to heal and restore is much greater than the storm itself. Waiting for power, waiting for communication, waiting for supplies to arrive, waiting for roads to be cleared, waiting for mold and wet material to be cleared, waiting for adjusters and construction, waiting for normal to come back. Waiting, waiting, waiting.
God tests us in the waiting.
My husband and I have faced a different kind of storm to wait out this year which has brought so much tension. The waiting process began weeks ago and is moving at a snail’s pace. While we are confident in God’s provision and plan, we have to wait for the process to continue and develop. Every baby step seems like a year coming. It’s hard to shut off rationalization and speculation. It’s hard not to leap to man-made plans of action. Doubts about the unknown bombard us. Sleep is elusive. I have considered returning to work to keep my mind occupied with healthier thoughts. No matter where we go to escape—at a grandson’s ball game or at a restaurant for our anniversary—the thoughts are there unbidden and insistent. Only when I immerse myself in the Word and worship music do I get relief.
There are thousands who face trials much worse than ours. My personal prayer list is filled with the needs of my neighbors, friends, and close relatives. God is not uncaring. He sees our needs. He knows all our cares.
Jeremiah 17:7 says,” Most blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord and whose hope and confidence the Lord is” (AMPC).
“Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust, lean on, rely on, and be confident also in Him and He will bring it to pass” (AMPC Psalm 37:5).
David said,” Let my vindication come from you,
For you see what is right.
You have tested my heart…
I call on you, God,
Because you will answer me,
Listen closely to me; hear what I say.
Display the wonders of your faithful love,
Savior of all who seek refuge
From those who rebel against your right hand.
Protect me as the pupil of your eye…” (Psalm 17: 2,6-8 AMPC).
There’s time in the waiting to saturate myself in the Word. It is a balm. It is a strengthening source of comfort. It is a reminder that others have needs as well.
Oh, Lord, Like Sarah waiting for her promised Isaac, I’m expecting an answer from you. Help me not to look for answers in anything less than your choice, your way. I praise you for what you teach to us in the process. I praise you whatever the outcome.
Sometimes the waiting is the hardest thing. I hope that God will answer your prayers soon.
Luwana, I pray that God will give you rest and assurance during your wait time.
We wait expectantly for God is faithful!