The Waiting Game

Waiting.  It's something we humans know oh too well.  We wait for buses; we wait for the weekend, for texts messages and phone calls and unruly children.  It's quite a bother, really.  Partly because we don't know when the waiting ends and partly because we don't have control over when it ends, waiting causes anxiety for most of us.

One thing I've been learning this fall, however, is that there are certain things I don't have to wait on.  I don't have to wait on the Lord's peace and I don't have to wait for good circumstances in order to have a good attitude.  I've learned the hard way that: "I'll have peace when....." doesn't play out well.

John 14:27 says that the Lord gives us peace that is not of this world.  In Philippians 4:7, Paul reminds us that God's peace surpasses all understanding.  That has been so comforting to me these past few months, as I've gone through joyful circumstances and difficult trials.  Being the emotionally-high-strung woman that I am, I tend to get thrown for a loop anytime something is out of my plan.  In case you haven't noticed: That happens a lot.

I told myself I would wait until God healed tight and strained muscles, until He provided a place to live next year, until He gave me more friends.  I kept rationalizing my fear and anxiety with this internal promise that WHEN God acted, I would have peace and relax.

There's two things I learned from doing things the wrong way.  Number one: God is always acting.  Just because He isn't doing things the way I want or the pace I want, doesn't mean that He isn't working for our good all the time.  This truth requires us to recognize that sometimes, our dreams are in line with His will and sometimes they aren't.  The second thing I learned was that life will never present an ideal, easy way for us to let go of fear.  Remember that proverbial "when" I mentioned.  It never comes.  Our finite minds can't grasp eternity, so instead we keep grasping for the next thing and the next thing, and our "when" keeps growing even as God provides.  We miss what God is doing because we're too busy thinking that all of a sudden, second isn't good enough and we must keep worrying and keep being anxious until we reach the very top.

So here's what we do.  We buckle down and face reality.  Life is gritty.  It's unexpected, it's painful and it's joyous. It's never perfect.  We rest in the peace of the Lord that tells us He is in control and He is good to us-- it's not enough for God to just be powerful, we have to remember He is good!  Physical pain, relationship strains, loneliness-- it's all in His hands.

What keeps you from letting go today?  What lack is fueling you restlessness and anxiety.  I want to remind you of my two lessons: Life is never going to be perfect AND God is always in motion in your life.  This is stuff we already know, but perhaps you need a reminder today like I did.  Keep pressing on!


Love,
Hannah