Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Enjoying the Wait


Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up on wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not grow weary.
~~Isaiah 40:30~~

I have come back to this verse a lot lately, as I feel like I am in a waiting period of my life. Our family has been waiting for some stresses (that are out of our control) to be resolved or removed from our life. Waiting for things to get better. Waiting until we finally get to take a vacation, and enjoy a much needed break. Waiting for God to show us the next step in our future plans. Waiting....waiting....waiting..... and I am growing weary. But am I really 'waiting for the Lord?'

In studying the verse above, I realized something: Waiting is NOT passive. The Amplified version of this passage says, "...those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for and hope in him] shall change and renew their strength and power...." Wow!! I need to be expectant, hopeful and observant during my time of waiting. Not just sitting until something happens, but resting in the HOPE of His promises and LOOKING for what He is doing, LISTENING to what He is saying.

When my two year old is waiting to go outside she often hops from one foot to the other, sings songs and dances around near the door. She also take a trip to the bathroom, put on her shoes and wriggle into her jacket. (She will even put on her hat or hood if it is cold). Whether it will be 5 minutes of 35 minutes until we leave, as soon as she knows we are going she jumps into action. She gets ready and gets excited.

I need to take my cues from my daughter and wait like a child. A time of hopeful expectancy, preparing for what will come next sounds exciting and almost joyful. No wonder God tells us that if we wait on Him we will renew our strength and can walk without getting weary, run without tiring out. Actively and assuredly hoping in God is nothing like the drudgery of just sitting still, pausing your life, until something happens.

Oh Lord teach me to learn how to truly wait for You and on You! So that I can be strengthened, renewed and able to enjoy the wait instead of growing weary.

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