Winter has a way of making me feel like I'm waiting. It may be because I spend those months thinking of getting back into gardening in Spring. Sparks of creativity jump around in my head, and I find it hard to sit still and wait.
As a follower of Jesus, I've also discovered that there are seasons in my walk with God. I feel fulfilled when I'm active and doing, but God also leads me into waiting rooms. I don't like them, as they seem so frustratingly slow. I wonder where He is and if I've missed His voice. Then, God reminds me that I need to sit, pray, and listen. I need to meditate on his Word and seek his face in earnest. I also need to put aside my agenda and search for His.
Waiting is an integral part of growth. We wait nine months for the birth of a child, and during those months, we know a fetus is growing and changing rapidly even though we cannot see that hidden child.
Most of the time, I can't see any growth in my life either, while I grapple with sitting still and listening.
I'm reading the book, Come Down Lord! by Roger Ellsworth. It's about revival in our hearts and corporate revival in our churches. What strikes me the most about wanting personal spiritual refreshing and awakening in my life is that it takes a relationship with the father, and all relationships take time for growth.
Life can be full of projects, and my agenda can overflow, but can I set those things aside to seek only Him? Indeed, seek Him for no purpose but to love Him and know Him more.
This is my prayer as we stand on the cusp of a New Year. 2023, and all that it unfolds in the months to come. Help me, Lord, to search for you while I wait---no, help me to wait. Of course, I will still sing and read, pray and meditate. But, Lord, when you whisper to me, may my heart be prepared to wait.
Comments