New Perspective on Waiting

In my last post, I wrote a lot about WAITING.

It was amazing how RIGHT after I wrote that post, God spoke to me VERY specifically on the status of my heart, challenging and convicting me in a good way to make some subtle changes in my heart and my head.  I am reading through some GREAT material (thanks Jessi!!!) that has really encouraged me, so I thought I would share.  Although you and I may not be waiting for the same things (answers to medical decisions, a baby, insurance stuff, financial concerns, etc) we all find ourselves in God's waiting room at some point, so maybe you can find this helpful as well. 

Here is an excerpt from the study that was originally taken from a Beth Moore study.  It sounds very familiar to the traditional "Footprints" story that you may have read, but it's NOT, so I encourage you to read it if you have time):

Imagine going to heaven and standing by God as he lovingly shows you the calendar of His plan for your earthly life.  It begins with the day you are born.  Once you received Christ as Savior, every day that follows is outlined in red.  You see footprints walking through each day of each week of your life.  On many of the days, two sets of footprints appear.  

You inquire:  "Father, are those my footprints on the calendar everyday and is the second set of prints when you joined me?" 

He answers, "No, My precious Child.  The consistent footprints on your calendar are Mine.  The second set of footprints are when you joined Me. "

"Where were You going, Father?"

"To the destiny I planned for you, hoping you'd follow."

"But, Father, where are my footprints all those times?"

He answers, "Sometimes you went back to look at old resentments and habits while I was still going forward, hoping you'd join Me. Sometimes, you departed from My path and chose your own calendar instead.  Other times, your footprints can even be seen on another person's calendar because you thought you liked their plan better.  At other times, you simply stopped because you would not let go of something you could not take to the next day."

"But Father, we ended up OK even if I didn't walk with You every day, didn't we?"

He holds you close and smiles.  "Yes, Child, we ended up OK. But, you see, OK was never what I had in mind for you."  

"Father, what are those golden treasure boxes on certain days?"

"Blessings, my child, I had for you along the way.  Those that are open are those that you received.  Those still closed were days you did not walk with Me." 

Then Matt's aunt sent me a wonderful book called Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman, which also has pointed me back to the Lord during this period of waiting and spoken truth straight to my heart.  It is a daily devotional, and here is what I read this morning after reading the above excerpt over the weekend:

"Oh, this is bitter work for Him and us--bitter for us to go, but equally bitter for Him to cause us pain; yet it must be done.  It would not be conducive to our true welfare to stay always in one happy and comfortable lot.  He therefore puts you forth...Take heart!  It could not be better to stay when He determines otherwise; and if the hand of our Lord puts us forth, it must be well.  On, in His name, to green pastures and still waters and mountain heights!  He goeth before thee!  Whatever awaits us is encountered first by Him.  Faith's eye can always discern His majestic presence in front; and when that cannot be seen, it is dangerous to move forward.  Bind this comfort to your heart, that the Savior has tried for Himself all the experiences through which He asks you to pass; and He would not ask you to pass through them unless He was sure they were not too difficult for your feet  or too trying for your strength.

This is the blessed life--not anxious to see far in front, no careful about the next step, not eager to choose the path, nor weighted with the heavy responsibilities of the future, but quietly following behind the Shepherd, one step at a time.

The Shepherd was always ahead of his sheep.  He was down in front.  Any attack upon them had to take him into account.  Now God is down in front.  He is in the tomorrows.  It is tomorrow that fills men with dread.  God is there already.  All the tomorrows of our life have to pass Him before they can get to us."


So, the real question that I'm working through and pondering is:  HOW AM I WAITING?  FOR GOD CARES JUST AS MUCH ABOUT HOW WE WAIT AS HE DOES WHAT WE'RE WAITING FOR...

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