Waiting | JOURNEY OF THANKFULNESS

If you’re in the dark and waiting. It’s not the dark that scares you, but the waiting.
(Picture by Lisa R.)

We are having a stress moment here. We can’t get in touch with my brother, which wouldn’t normally bother me. However, recent events have me a little nervous, coupled with the fact that not one, but both of my parents are worried. I am learning (right now) that the most horrible thing in the world is waiting. It’s one thing to wait, when you know what to expect. It’s a whole other ball game when you have no idea if anything bad has happened. Every scenario runs through your head and most of the time what comes to mind is the worse situation possible. I am watching my mom worry because she doesn’t know if her child is okay. My father (who we normally don’t talk to) has called several times. I am not a panic-er by nature, but hearing the concern in your parents voice has an effect on you. When I lived away from my family I use to be irritated when my parents worried about me. However, today I realized it is love, it’s sacrifice. Today while my brother may be upset. I pray he knows that all of it is because he is loved. Many people in the world don’t have that. Tonight I realized how blessed I am to know that God has put people in my world who are more concerned with my well being, than my anger at them. Oddly, for that I am extremely grateful.

“Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger…” (Ephesians 4:26).

So what’s my plan attack? Learn to appreciate what I have been blessed with.

Somtimes we are meant to just, WAIT.

We went house hunting today. We need to move closer to Fort Lauderdale for several reasons. As we spent the day perusing different homes, it dawned on me the parallel between house hunting and this journey. There were homes that were awesome on the outside, but dirty and unlivable on the inside. The opposite also was true, there were houses that looked dirty and dingy on the outside, but the insides were beautiful and serene. Other homes were beautiful both inside and out, but missed one vital component. This journey is a lot like that. Sometimes the exterior is beautiful, and we’re ready to jump into a relationship or a situation based solely on the “cover”. Only to find out that the inside is empty, hallow, and dirty. Sometimes the “cover” is not aesthetically pleasing, so we stay away , but upon further examination we find the contents to be exactly what we needed. Then there are times when the inside and the outside are great, but there is no “closet” space. No place for us to lay things down and put them away. Today I fell in love with a house that was beautiful inside and out, but it had no closet space (hence the analogy). we wanted to put an offer immediately (it was that beautiful, we all immediately loved it), but I felt the need to wait in my spirit. After praying and talking it through with my family we decided to hold off a bit. The lesson: If the situation, relationship, or house does not have everything that you NEED (notice I did not say want…this house had everything I wanted), then WAIT. God promised to supply ALL our needs, and He also said that ALL His promises are YES. He will do what He promised.

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

So what am I thankful for today? Learning to wait.