Whistle While You Wait...

Thankfully, I'm not waiting on restoration in the way that this song was meant, but I heard this song on the way home from a run today and it really resonated with where I am and where I want to be.

It's by John Waller, and if I was tech savvy enough, I'd post the link. Here are the lyrics, though:

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I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait

I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

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When I heard this song, I thought, "Yes. That's it." I can move ahead, bold and confident. Taking every step in obedience. The waiting is half the fun...in a strange (and not always fun) sort of way. This is certainly where the challenge is. It's also where the growth is, where the changes take place, or as my pastor calls it, "God's gym". Where He works us out. I also knew someone who likened it to dross being burned out of gold matter. What is revealed under layers of what we thought mattered and what was once important, is pure gold. 

How much God loves us, to give us trials that challenge and change us. How much more wonderful the painful times become when we allow Him to refine our desires and repair misaligned, destructive areas of our lives. 

I tell my toddler daughters often that I would not discipline them, make them wait patiently, or not give them what they are asking for sometimes, if I didn't adore them so. I want the best for them. I'm looking down the road for them in a way that they cannot yet do for themselves. 

Isn't that just what God is doing for us?

More Waiting...

It's hard to wait sometimes. Especially when what's in the oven smells so good while it's baking....

Did I say I had this waiting thing figured out? If I did, boy was I wrong. Disappointment comes like a gust of wind taking the breath right out of me sometimes. 

I was doing well trusting God with my desires and my heart. It was actually kind of great. Special even, because it was like a sweet little secret between His heart and mine. But then it was put to words, perhaps a gesture of taking things into my own hands (again), and I voiced my plan. It was not well received, but at least it wasn't hurled into oblivion, either. 

That was last night. Then this morning, I burned a cake. And by burned, I of course mean charcoaled, destroyed, nearly set ablaze... You get the idea. I've never had a cake turn out so badly. I love to bake. 

Fitting, really. Something went wrong with the batter and it overflowed from my favorite bundt stone, right on to the oven floor. Billows of white smoke filled my house and now I smell like burnt chocolate, too. 

It seems like there isn't a single life scenario that doesn't merit a metaphor, and this one is practically begging for it. I need more time to figure it all out, but here's my best outlook on it so far:

Like the cake, I was busy baking away in the oven of God's timing. Maybe I thought I could help things along a little by bubbling up with my own recipe. Maybe I thought the Baker needed a little prompting. Perhaps I thought things would hasten and turn out just right if I didn't have to "cook" for so long, or in such high heat. 
So, I did bubble up. I didn't wait for the Baker to tell me it was time. And in the process I got burned. 

I see how, even in Scripture, God will orchestrate situations in our lives to strengthen us and change us. To refine us. He allows us to make mistakes as opportunities to teach soft hearts. Even hard hearts, for that matter. There is no ingredient in our lives He's not willing to use. It's always for our best. It's always for His Glory. 

He knew my heart was tender in this area of my desire. The cake was still in the process of baking. He allowed me to overflow onto the oven floor...causing a mess and even some tears. But I know that He's not through with me yet. He's able to clean up the mess and start again. 

The best part is, He's not holding it over my head as some kind of failure. Our God in Heaven is so sweet that I know He'll mend my broken heart and keep on baking. 

I'm tired of doing things my way.

"Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

Waiting. Patiently... Because it honors the Lord; because it exalts Him. Not only in my heart and home, but among the nations. In all the EARTH. Whew, what a promise! 

A little selfishly, waiting on the Lord and His timing will also bless me. It's for my own good, for my protection. 

I can scheme and manipulate a situation with the best of 'em to get what I want, and sometimes it even works out well (that's got to be the Grace of God). But what does it usually get me? My version of "best". Ha! Let me tell you what else my version of best gets me: a frustrated husband, an unsettled household, lack of peace, wrinkles in my forehead, and weird dreams in restless sleep. 

So right now, every day, and maybe even hourly for a while, here's my motto: 

Your Will. Your Way. Your Time.

And you know what? I can rest in that. More accurately, I can rest in Him. 

In Luke 10:38-42, the familiar story of Mary and Martha is told. 

"Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to His teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to Him and said, 'Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.' But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.'"

This passage is loaded with all sorts of impact, but the part that is particularly striking to me right now is this: Martha thought she knew what was best. She was busy trying to make it happen. They did, in fact, need to eat! She wanted to be a good Hostess and her guest was JESUS, after all! It doesn't get more exciting than that! So she worked really hard to get it right. I bet her house smelled nice and she had candles lit in all the right corners to illuminate what she was proud of and hide the cobwebs she didn't have time to wipe away. 

I can relate to this...in SO many ways. But, here's just a little takeaway: Martha's heart was probably good. Her intentions were to bless (and also to look good doing it). She missed the mark, though. What did Jesus say was the one necessary thing? 

To wait at the feet of Jesus. Against every natural inclination, Mary sat still at His feet. She listened quietly without pressing her own will and without trying to make herself look good. She wasn't scheming, or cleaning, or networking, or planning for the days and years to come. 

So today, I'll choose to wait for Him and rest in His timing. Against every inclination and by His Grace.

Your Will. Your Way. Your Time.

"Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

Lots of Love,

Candace