Wisdom in Waiting

From Wisdom in Waiting: Life is nothing more than waiting for God's direction in your life. You've asked Him for direction. It has yet to come. Surely God must want you to go with your best instincts. If He did not, He surely would have answered by now. His silence can mean nothing other than to go ahead and do what you think is best, right?

Psalm 106:1-23 reminds us of the history of Israel's rebellion. "They soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel (v. 13). They forged ahead! Had they remembered, they would have waited. I personally do not like waiting. And I am stuck in a waiting pattern like never before.

I know deep in my heart that I must not act impulsively right now. The impulse to act quickly always leads us (me) to our own human devices. But I, like most believers, am trigger happy. I take matters into my own hands. I need to be in control. Silly isn't it that I cannot wait for God to speak or to come through on my behalf. When we choose to do what we think is best, we are left then with the limitations of our thinking! And we are left with the consequences of those actions. Thankfully, God rarely works in a rush. Forming Jesus within us--the renewal of our minds--takes time.

So I wait. And I wait because there is virtually no way for me to discern God's will without waiting quietly. I don't even like the "quietly part here." I thrive on noise but am learning that all that noise drowns out the voice of God. Self-generated desires must be quelled. Again I pray, Lord, your will, not mine. God must be asked. We must listen. The Word must take root in our hearts. The counsel of others in the body of Christ must be sought. The options must be weighed. In time, one course of action will stand clear. The voice of God will whisper in your ear: "This is the way. Walk in it."

How much do your trust the wisdom of God? Enough to wait until after it's "too late"? God won't heed our deadlines, but HE is never too late. His direction will come. His way will be clear, and His timing will be perfect.

So for now I am trusting that the answers will be there at just the right time.

No Online Spending yet!

Well it's been two whole weeks since my last blog post for many, many reasons. We came back from St. Lucia to reality too quickly. It was like being sucked into an emotional vortex and I truly experienced some reverse culture shock. I do not look at trailers, run-down clap-board houses through the same eyes. I see poverty all around me in Greenwood and my heart does a little flip. Then as I showed my extended family our vacation pictures my heart broke once again and I realized that my pictures did not convey enough of the "real" St. Lucia. The island and the impact it left still resonate. So much so that I would go back today in a heartbeat. Not just to escape the pressures of this life, but to be immersed in another culture where the pace is slower, and the simple joy of living is evident all around you. People who have very little appreciate life and the gifts God bestows.

On another note, I am 25 days into my month with no online spending. And believe me I have been bombarded daily with sales fliers, email updates from Pottery Barn, Old Navy, etc. Can I get an AMEN here?

Until next time, breathe deeply because that's exactly what I will be doing.