The weight of waiting

Some year ago I had a personal trainer that I went to three times a week.  It was something that I somewhat enjoyed and yet there was so much pain involved.  Anyone that works out and lifts weights knows that there are days you don't want to go to the gym.  There are times when you trainer (if you have one) gets on your nerves that may cause you to say some words to them that are not found in the bible.

Its difficult at times to lift weights and keep pushing the weights off of your chest, legs or back in order to get desired results.  As I reflect on my grueling experience of having a personal trainer and lifting weights, I can't help but to also think about how waiting can feel like a weight!  Have you EVER had to wait on God????  Anyone who says that its easy to wait on God has either never waited on God...or is lying!  The bible tells us that the secret things belong to God.  Which means that you and I could think of 1000 different reasons why we are waiting and ALL of them could be wrong!  Is God trying to build your character?  Are you waiting because you are not ready to receive what he has for you?  Do you have to wait because of disobedience?

I do know that God is a God of timing.  As much as it sometimes may feel like it, I do not believe that God enjoys watching his children suffer.  I just don't believe that God sits in heaven laughing while you and I struggle through waiting for our jobs, our homes, our relationships, and our healing.  In fact there are many of you that are going to read this blog and while you are reading it you WILL be thinking of what you specifically are waiting on.

As one who has waited on God before, can I suggest to you some things that help, while you wait, so that it doesn't seem as much of a weight?

1. DO NOT hang around negative people! I truly believe that what you spend the most time around you end up emulating
2. Find bible texts that encourage you.  I great one is: Isaiah 40:28-31.  Go ahead and read that RIGHT NOW!  I know you could do other things to seemingly help you through the pressing weight.  I just know from my experience that reading the text really does help!
3. This one is real difficult: Go and be a blessing to someone. Get the focus off of yourself and go and be a blessing in the life of someone else.  Our blessing often comes in blessing someone else!
4. Exercise.  I know what your saying. I'm already sweating from waiting on God!!!  I don't feel like exerting more energy!  I have found, and others have told me as well, that exercising helps your positive attitude
5.  Lastly, while you are waiting: DON'T stop worshipping God.  When things get bad, you tend to walk away from the only person who can really help us: God!  I am not saying this is easy, because we feel like why should we sing, why should we pray, why should we fellowship with other believers when we feel that God hasn't done anything for us.  Well I hate to disrupt your thinking, but He has already done something.  You think its really bad?  It could be A LOT worse (His mercy and grace is whats keeping it from really going out of control).  Draw closer to God while you wait.

There are definitely more things a person could do while they wait, but I wanted to pass on these key things that I believe are essential and helpful!  Be blessed!

Preparation is Key

Those who have been following the blog know that I have been having more than a difficult time over the last three years.  Back and forth to the hospital.  In and out of doctors offices.  Taking medicine, too many to name, and just overall adjustments to life.  When you have a lot going on: physical pain, mental discouragement, and no immediate answers as to why what is happening is happening, its easy to throw pity parties and continually feel sorry for yourself.  I will admit that what I have gone through and what many of you may be going through now, can be an extremely lonely time in your life.  Regardless of what people see you look like they have no idea of the rough road that you have been traveling.  A smile can definitely say a thousands words...one of those words it could say is that: I'm smiling just to cover up the pain.

Feeling alone in your experience though, is not an altogether bad thing.  Remember, it was John's isolation that brought about his glorious revelation of Jesus Christ.  I really do believe that God can show you more by yourself than he can in a crowd.  As I claim healing for myself and am what I believe to be on the other side of my valley, I have learned that preparation is key.  There is so much that God wants to do in our lives that if we would be honest with ourselves...we are not really prepared for.  We are currently NOT prepared for many of the things that God wants to accomplish through us!  As much as we would like to believe we are...We are NOT ready for marriage, NOT ready for that job promotion, NOT currently prepared for the move...and what God is trying to do now, is prepare you!  Preparation is KEY!!!

If you are like me then you oftentimes don't like waiting.  However what God is trying to do in you, because of you...takes a process, it takes time.  So God works on your character so that when you get to the place that he wants you to be you have the character to keep you where the assignment of God is trying to take you.  It would be a terrible thing if we didn't have the character to keep us where God ultimately wanted us to be and in order for that to happen, it takes preparation.

I have learned in my world, in this season of illness, to not magnify the illness but magnify the preparation. In other words: God what do I need to learn during this season of my life?  What area in my character are you exactly working on?  What needs to be accomplished now that I can't accomplish later?

Don't worry about the pain...its just preparation!