While you are waiting...

A big hello to those of you joining me from the Encouragement Cafe! I pray my devotional, "Life's Waiting Room"is one God used to speak to your heart.

Let me ask you a question, "What are you waiting for?" Vacation to come, the weekend, resolution of a relationship conflict, a hard season to be over, the end of a loved ones battle with cancer...we are constantly waiting for something. Sometimes it's good, fun things while others it's the end of hard, painful experiences.

The other day I was out in the field doing a job the kids and I are wishing was over. We farm organically so rather than spraying weeds with chemicals we walk up and down the rows and pull them. It's not a terrible job, but it's time consuming and can get boring. It does provide opportunity for lots of talk time with my little people.

The conversations can be quite interesting, the singing sometimes drives me crazy, but sometimes thru it all God gives me a picture. Tuesday I was walking along doing my job and we were talking about the corn growing...each day we are out there it seems we can tell it's getting taller. As I thought about this James 5:7 came to mind - "Therefore be patient, brethren until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains." 

Farming involves much waiting, as does life. There are so many things we cannot control - the rain, the temps,the wind, the bugs, but we wait and trust. Isn't that the case with living a life of faith too? We can't control what others say and do. We don't have the power to cure cancer or create a desired result. Our authority only goes so far. But God - He is all knowing, all powerful and the one in control. We must choose to trust Him and wait upon Him.

 Patience is a huge part of waiting, but my day in the field reminded me there is more. Work is also part of the wait. If a farmer just put seed in the ground and did nothing til harvest chances are he'd get a crop, but it wouldn't be a great harvest. While we're waiting for the corn to grow we have work to do. There's weed pulling, cultivating, rock picking...I could go on, but you get the idea there are things a farmer has to do. More important than the manual labor is the time spent in prayer. There are many jobs a farmer (and his wife and kids) do, but God does the growing. We need to ask Him and trust Him.

Friend, I don't know what you are waiting for, but I do know waiting is hard. Sitting in the Dr.'s waiting room can be lonely, it can be a place where your mind takes over and worry settles in. I know life's waiting rooms are no different, but stop for a minute and think about what work you can do while you wait.

Are you waiting for God to open a door and give you an opportunity to do something you know He's called you to do? Spend some time in prayer about this and then start preparing yourself to do it. Be ready when the wait is over!!

Are you waiting for a hard season to end? Remember no matter how hard life may seem, God is working...He is not surprised with your trial and is working good from what feels so bad. So in the wait, keep doing the work of getting into His Word. Sometimes when our feelings are hurt and hearts are broken it's hard to open our Bibles, but it's exactly the work we need to do. His Word is living and active...God will meet you on the pages of Scripture. Go there today!

What are you waiting for? I don't know, but God does and He also knows the work He has for you while you wait! Seek His guidance and direction and He'll show you what to do.

Three years ago I found myself in a hard waiting room of life and once the wait was over I realized I had wasted so much time. What I was waiting for had consumed me and overwhelmed me. It dictated everything I did, which wasn't much, and kept me from doing what needed to be done. Friend, I encourage you to embrace the wait and work through it.

Saying that doesn't mean there isn't a time and place for rest because as a mom of 5 I know rest is important! But sometimes our work in the wait is rest...for many of us resting doesn't come easy. It takes work to stop what we are doing, walk away from our to-do list and shut off our mind. So if you're in need to rest, do the work and obey Jesus command - "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)