Monday, April 20, 2009

Waiting WITH

So...at first glance, the "Word of the Week" last week did not go well. In fact, this week found me possibly more impatient and unwilling to WAIT than usual. Perhaps this is because Tax Day came and went (along with some money, I might add...). Or maybe it is because I spent the better part of another week WAITING to see what the future holds for me both vocationally and personally. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that all I really did last week was WAIT: for the weekend, for Jason to come home, for e-mails, for phone calls. Needless to say, I did not WAIT well. It was a somewhat frustrating week. I was terribly aware of the WAITING and not-so-good-at-it. I am not entirely proud of this fact.

All excuses aside for my attitude toward the many ways I am WAITING lately, I do think I learned a little something this week. I learned that I cannot WAIT alone. I need to let myself WAIT with God, with Jason, with family and friends. I need to wait forwardly and expectantly, trusting in God to guide and provide. Herein lies the problem, really. I try too hard to WAIT alone and I lack the necessary trust in God most of the time. I have these pockets of realization that I cannot go it alone and they are hopeful and freeing moments. I need to give in to them much more. This will make the WAITING - no matter how long - much less frustrating and much more life-giving.

You see, we are called to live while we WAIT. We are not just to sit idly by and WAIT for whatever is next. The Scriptures point to an active WAITING for God and, more specifically, WAITING for His return. We are to be watchful, alert, and decidedly not alone. In that beloved passage in Isaiah that is quoted and printed everywhere, the prophet says, "THEY that WAIT upon the Lord will renew THEIR strength..." (40:31). The Psalms encourage us to "wait in expectation" (3:3). Psalm 33 even encourages singing and making music to the Lord as we "wait in hope" for the Lord who is worthy of our trust (20).

I am determined to be better at this WAITING thing. If it is a theme of my life right now I had better make my peace with it. This brings me to the new word of the week. WITH. I think this little preposition is a powerful one. It came to me while I was reflecting on WAITING. There is no better way to WAIT than WITH: the Lord, my full-of-faith-and-trust husband, and the countless others God has graciously given me. I am excited about reflection on our new word of the week and maybe learning to WAIT better because of it!

{The picture above is from the Victory Gardens at Callaway Garden's in Pine Mountain, Georgia...just minutes from our home! I included it because it reminds me that while we must WAIT, there is beauty on the otherside of the WAITING. It also reminds me that it takes a lot of time and care for such a result.}

2 comments:

Matt and Jenny said...

Jules, this is a great post and very timely for me I must say. Sometimes I feel like that is what the week consists of for me right now...waiting. However, after talking about that and other things with Matt last weekend I have been trying very hard this week to be better at the waiting. Such as viewing MY day as a job of sorts. With a schedule of job searching, house cleaning, etc. But it IS hard and I find myself fighting off fear, loneliness and anxiety every morning before I get calmed down. And...I want to be effective for the kingdom. I want and need to get out of the house and serve. Especially right now while i have more time. I am hoping to get started on this soon. But that has been hard too, in a new community with a lack of knowledge about what is out there and the fact that I am ALONE. Everyday. But...I know I must and I am resolved to. And the bottom line is, I am so happy right now, despite all of this. I just know I must trust. It is hard. I have to say, it is comforting to be going thru this with you, my sister. I love you.

Carolina Girl said...

I hear you Julie! I've been waiting too...waiting for the movers to pack, to load, to drive to TX, and to unload our stuff. We waited to get the keys to our house. I wait for Grady to go to sleep so I can unpack...and on and on. And I'm so preoccupied with the waiting that you're right...I'm missing out on the living now! You're so wise Julie! I too am feeling alone and isoloated in a new town. It's a dangerous slippery slope! We have to get up and get going...EVERYDAY! And get out of the house EVERYDAY; even if it's just a walk around the block.