Wait! I do not like to wait!  Who does? Patience is not always my friend; but I am trying to work on it through grace these days.

We’ve come a long way with waiting since my growing up days.  How did we get information?  Wait for the 5:00 news or work through the card catalog in an actual library in know where to look before actually going to look for the reference piece. When we were hungry? We had to actually prepare meals (at home) and wait for the boiling, baking, or frying to finish . Bored? We had three channels on TV and had to wait at least a week for the next episode of our favorite show.  Shopping?  Wait for the weekly trip to town for the necessities.  Talking to our friends? Wait till our landline that we shared with our family, as well as our neighbors (party line), was not in use.

Now, we live in a world of instant gratification.  We want information- Google. We are hungry-fast food, Instacart, etc. We want to watch a show-Hulu, Netflix, etc.  We want supplies- Amazon Prime.  We need to get ahold of someone-text, message, etc.

So, it’s no wonder we WANT what we want, and we want it now. But here’s a truth that I’ve come to not only realize, but appreciate:  God doesn’t work in our lives through our expectations, our desires, or our timeline.

I also believe that when we think we are waiting, He’s actually working.

We want to see Him move.  We want Him to answer our request.  We want Him to deliver us from our suffering. We want what we want!

We keep praying and believe we are in a waiting period. And, we grow impatient. We don’t understand why He’s not moving in our lives. We are so focused on what we want that we don’t notice that His goodness and His plan are being revealed… His way.

And, maybe we can’t see that right away.  That’s where faith and trust step in. We have to believe He is always working for our good.  He is never taken off guard.  He will never agree to settle for our plans when His is so much better.  He knows what we need and when to provide it.  It might be something we are learning.  It might be how to lean on Him and strengthen our walk with Him.  It might be creating or cultivating a relationship. Sometimes, though, we don’t know why.  And, that is hard.

“As for God, his way is perfect:  The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.”  Psalm 18:30 (NIV)

But one thing I know and am so grateful for is that HE IS FAITHFUL, even if we are not!

So, if you are in a period of wanting and waiting, I want to reassure you that HE KNOWS!  He hears you. He has not forgotten you. He is not punishing you. He loves you too much!  And, He is always good, even when we don’t understand.

“For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.” Psalm 33:4 (NIV)

When we start positioning our hearts toward praying and praising Him, we can turn that wanting and waiting into receiving His blessings.

PRAY that His will be done.  Pray that He searches your heart and aligns your desires to His will. Pray that you have eyes that see Him and see how He is working in your life.  That you have ears that hear His truth and His voice when He is tells you to move or to be still.

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” 1 John 5:14-15 (NIV)

PRAISE Him in the valleys as much as you do on the mountains.  Don’t get discouraged when you are not getting that instant answer that you are looking for.  Believe in His goodness. Always. In the good and the bad.  When it’s easy and when it’s hard.  Know that He is working so that you are able to fulfill the purpose He has already determined for your life.

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)

Some of you are in difficult places, waiting and wanting peace, healing, comfort.  I am praying for you.

Some of you are dwelling in uncertainty and doubt, waiting and wanting for answers.  I am praying for you.

Some of you are in a season of joy and contentment, maybe waiting and wanting more.  I am praying for you, too.

I pray that we all can fully experience God’s love for us in the wait and want as well as through the prayers and the praise. Every day!

“..And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19 (NIV)