Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Enjoy the Journey

Are you, like me, waiting on God for something? I bet I would be hard pressed to find a gal who answered no to that!  Though we do enjoy seasons of contentment, most of us are always waiting for something this side of eternity, aren't we?  None of us are perfect, nor are our husbands, children, families, careers, finances, bodies, homes...and the list goes on. 


I am in a season of waiting and I've been here before.  Almost four years ago, God answered a prayer so dear to my heart in the most awesome and mighty way.  Now, I am praying He will do it again.  You would think I would wait well the second time, because I saw His faithfulness the first time, right?  I KNOW He is faithful.  He has shown me how PERFECT His timing is.  Sometimes I think that the closest I ever felt to the Lord was during that wait.  I sought Him, served Him, praised Him, trusted Him.  And, wow, did He deliver!  Yet, recently, I've struggled more this time around.  How quickly we forget!  Sometimes, God knows, we need a review of the lessons we've already learned.
So, He gives us the opportunity to learn them a second time. 


It's so easy to focus on what we don't have, that we take for granted what we do have.  We forget about the answered prayers that are right in front of us everyday.  Do you remember when you prayed for your husband?  Your first child? Your second child?  Your promotion?  Your  healing?  Revisit a few of those answered prayers and praise God for them.  Then, while you're at it, praise Him for the unanswered prayers, too!


Part of the excitement of this life we are blessed with is that God doesn't tell us upfront how it's all going to go down.  Imagine if he told us at the age of 10 who we were going to marry and when, where we would live, what we would do, how many children we would have and what gender each of them would be, what their names would be, what their strengths and challenges would be, what they would grow up to be, who they would marry and when and just laid it all out there for us in black and white?  While that might sound nice to some of us from a planning perspective, it would rob us of the joy of pleasant surprises.  Most important, it would diminish our need to rely on God at every juncture; to seek Him; to trust Him and thereby, further our relationship with Him. 


I remember telling my single friends, who were weary of waiting for a husband, "But think of the excitement, the mystery of it!  You don't know yet who your husband will be!  It could be a friend, someone you know, someone you'll meet for the first time later today.  He could even be right here in the same room with us now (gym, coffee shop, etc)!"  I smile now thinking of it, because I could apply the same advice to myself.  "Just think, you don't know yet what you're family will look like!  You could be a family of 3, 4, 5.  You could have two boys, a boy and a girl, twin boys, twin girls, who knows!!! Only God.  And whatever it is, it will be God's best for you, your family and most important, His kingdom."


Moms, let's teach our kids to wait well.  To praise God for what He's already provided more than we ask for what we do not yet have.  To enjoy the excitement of not yet knowing what the future holds and to rely daily on God and His  promises.  Whatever it is today that you or your child are waiting for, God hears your prayer and He has already answered.


See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. - Isaiah 43:19


“What God does in us while we wait is as important as what we’re waiting for.” (John Ortberg – Waiting on God)


There are so many great posts on waiting on this blog!  Check out Waiting - Turn Your Eyes on Him, from Courtney, for more.  The quote above from John Ortberg was taken from this blog.


Let's pray. "Heavenly Father, we thank you and praise you that you are in control and we are not.  We thank you that you know how to give good gifts to us, your children, according to your perfect will and timing.  Help us to wait well and to teach our children to wait well.  To be grateful for all that you have provided, to rely on you daily and to enjoy the journey with you by our side.  In Jesus' name we pray.  Amen."













3 comments:

  1. I so enjoyed reading this blog Ingrid! Loved being reminded of your faithfulness and HIS! I also think of the witness you are to those watching and the miracles they get to see through all this, Beautiful my friend!

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  2. Great reminder to look around at all of our already answered prayers!

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  3. That was beautiful and brought tears to my eyes. Thank you, Ingrid.

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