Habakkuk 2:3 (ESV)
“For still the vision awaits it’s appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.”
Have you been to the grocery store near the holiday season? It’s a nightmare! Even in my best efforts to avoid those lines, I seem to get caught on occasion. Since there is no way around it, I would try to pick the line that was moving the fastest. You know the drill. Walk strategically past all the lines. See which cashier is moving fast and who has the least amount of items in the cart, then you jump in that line.
Ok, yes, we still have to wait for a while but at least you can see the line moving. You can see how long it’s going to be. So I either catch up on my email or hold a conversation with whoever I dragged along for the ride and wait my turn. I’m content knowing I can see how far I have to go and when I’m next in line.
Boy oh boy! If only it worked that way with God. See, I have patience when I can see the wait won’t be so long. That’s cool for a grocery line but trusting when you can’t see is a whole other beast. I don’t’ know about you but how many times has God told you when whatever you’re going through was going to be over? Probably not too often, right? Well I can relate.
Here’s what happened the other day that really got my attention. I was sitting in the parking lot of my son’s school and I clicked on the Facebook post of one of my favorite women in ministry. The words that came out her mouth hit me like a freight train. Here’s why, I was just moaning and questioning God about this season I’m in. When is this going to be over? I’m sick of crying. I hate crying. You know this Lord so when, when, when? You know the whining game we play, right? So when I heard this little snippet it sounded like God’s response to my moaning. Has that ever happened to you? It’s jarring.
Anyway, here’s what she said in the snippet,
“Friends live right there where you are. Right there in the hardship, right there in the difficulty, right there in the displacement. Little captive girl, you are there for a reason. You are the key to somebody’s healing. Unpack your bags until God moves you on. And trust him with the season of life you are currently in.”
-Priscilla Shirer
After I jumped back I was in that parking lot and you guessed it the tears begin to roll, yet again. If anyone saw me they probably said, “That poor lady.” If you’ve been following my blogs you know God is exposing parts in me that are attached to the core of who I am but not attached to him. However, I fully know what he called me to do so I know it’s all connected. I’m uncomfortable and I have not reached the level of appreciation for the hard knock life but I do know it’s all connected. See, in 1998 when he pulled me out of my dark places and first told me about what he was calling me into I thought he had the wrong person. (that’s another post, I’ll share later) And what I didn’t anticipate was the process of that call.
See, I have these things in my life right now where I don’t see the line moving like I would in the grocery line. In fact, I’m in a season of surgery and God is cutting away the parts that are not like him piece by piece. I’ve got to be honest, it doesn’t feel all that good and I’m guessing that’s the point. Trusting God isn’t feeling good about where we are. It’s about trusting Him no matter how we feel.
It sounds so very mature, right? But here’s my dilemma just like when I’m in a grocery line I don’t mind the wait as long as I can see what’s going on and I’m able to gauge how long the wait will be. And I’ve come to realize, I’m not a patient person because I’m not fully trusting the process. I’m trying to look ahead, over and around God to see when it’s going to be over. I know this is something we struggle with because we live in a microwave world. We rely on knowing the time frames of life so we are under the illusion that we have patience. See, It’s easy to claim patience when we see the line moving.
Now, I’ll be the first to admit I fell for the belief I was patient until I realized something: God isn’t sharing how long things will take and when things will happen for every season of life we’re going through. I’m just in the thick of it, and I am learning to trust him in E V E R Y T H I N G. He knows exactly what he’s doing. We either trust that truth, or we don’t.
But here’s the good news! The beauty of our relationship with God is that it’s not too late to start trusting Him. We need to go to him in prayer, admit we don’t trust him like we should, and ask God to build that trust in him. I genuinely believe what Priscilla said, and speaking the truth out loud has always caused a jolt in my soul. So here it goes. “I am here for a reason. I am the key to somebody’s healing.” He’s not just saying that to me; God is saying that to Y O U.
So celebrate that we are given the grace to learn to trust God completely in every area of life. And since I believe God responded to my whining through the ministry of Priscilla Shirer, here’s my response, “My bags are presently unpacked, and I have no idea how long I’m staying in this place, but I will wait on the Lord.”
What’s your response?
-Post 1st published May 6, 2017
