What Are You Waiting For?

This week the Pastor and his wife from the Grace Brethren Church will be coming to Ashland to visit with us. This is just one of the steps in the interviewing process that began in late winter for the Pastor of Connections position. This is our first experience interviewing for a position as a pastor in a church so the process is new to us and much different than any of the other jobs either of us have applied for in the past (which typically only takes about a month or so to know whether or not you have the job). Although we are in a time of waiting (especially when it comes to making any specific plans after July) I can say that we have not been confused, frustrated, or impatient in the process. We are excited and hopeful yet totally trusting the Lord for the job that He wants Mike to have.

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I can not say that I have faced every "waiting" period with the same heart. We all have many dreams and desires for our life beginning as a child saying "when I get big enough I will be able to _____ (fill in the blank)". We could make a whole long list of things that we look forward to in life (or in other words "wait for")...getting a driver's license, graduating, getting married, having children, buying a house, retiring, getting a job, having the baby old enough to sleep through the night, having the children old enough to take care of themselves, getting a promotion, getting a bigger house, moving to another state, etc., etc. Many people spend their entire lives waiting for the next stage in their life (or maybe even waiting to die) without really living their life. By doing this we miss out on all of the joy in the many blessings that we already have.

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Mike and I are looking forward to buying a house and having children someday, Lord willing. But see those are the key words "Lord willing." Even though we pray and ask God daily that He would bless us with those things someday, we also realize that He may have other plans. If we end up living in a small apartment for the rest of our lives, can we have contentment and joy? We realize that our small apartment would look like a palace compared to the homes of many other people in the world. If we never are blessed with children, can we have contentment and joy? We realize that God has given us nieces and nephews whom we love dearly and also that not having children right now has given us freedom and opportunities that would not have been possible if we did have children.

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So, allow me to encourage you...If you are feeling disappointed, discouraged, struggling with unfulfilled desires, or feeling like life is passing you by while you sit and "wait," - seek Him, the Lord alone is the source of true joy and contentment...

• Pray and tell God how you are feeling/your desires
• Read scripture (I recommend the book of Job, the story of Hannah in I Samuel, and the writings of Paul in the New Testament)
• Find a Christian you can talk to for encouragement

Two of my favorite songs are: "Blessed Be Your Name" and "Everlasting God". Both express the sovereignty of God and how awesome He is despite whether we are going through a time of abundance or suffering, and how, if we trust in Him, our time of "waiting" will strengthen us...

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Paul learned to be content because he could see life from God's point of view:

Philippians 4:12 "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."

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