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Gentle Reader,
I so look forward to Thursday nights and the FMFParty. I love seeing how God connects women (and some men!) from different backgrounds and places. It’s a beautiful thing to see the body of Christ come together.
Linking up with Kate and the beautiful ladies (and handsome dudes). We: wait.
Go.
I’m terribly impatient. This may not always be apparent because I’m not emotionally demonstrative, but so often I’m stomping my internal foot. Why won’t he hurry up? Why doesn’t she get it? Why do I have to listen to this? Why do I have to go through this? Come on!
I hate waiting.
And so, of course, I’m given lots of opportunities to wait.
God likes to stretch us, doesn’t He?
There’s a particular situation that’s really been poking at me. I really want something to happen. I really want something to change. But the Spirit keeps telling me to keep silent. To hang back. To watch. To wait and see.
So hard.
Also fascinating, as lately I’ve been pushing myself to be less silent. It’s strange to feel a pull in two directions and know that they’re both how God is leading. Speak up here and stay quiet there. Push through this and wait in that.
Yet in both the pushing and the waiting, I am learning (again) that I have zero control over the responses of others. Maybe that’s the point. Maybe God wants to show me where my responsibility ends and another’s beings. He is certainly teaching me that He wants me to wait on Him for direction. My plans get me nowhere. His plans get me everywhere.
So maybe waiting isn’t so bad.
Stop.
It’s a hard lesson to learn, isn’t it? One I’m struggling with too. To wait on His timing, and for Him to reveal the next steps when He sees fit.
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It’s a hard lesson for sure! I’m thankful that God still loves me even when I have a temper-tantrum. 🙂
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I love it! That last bit is golden: Our plans get us nowhere, His plans get us everywhere. I spent much of the previous three years making my own plans only to have them all (literally all!) come crashing down on me. I have learned to trust His plans, and they are already leading me places that are so much better than where I thought I’d be!
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Amen, Mama! Trusting Him is a ongoing lesson for sure, but it turns out so good when we do!
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Oh yes… this: “My plans get me nowhere. His plans get me everywhere.”
Just so much truth, there!
Waiting with you… familiar with that push and pull, my friend!
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I’m glad someone else knows the feeling!
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“Zero control over the responses of others”
Perfect. That is the raison d’etre of waiting.
And I’m here from FMF. But contrary to your first paragraph…I’m not a lady.
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Ooops! I forget there are brothers who participate. Gotta change that!
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Aw, no worries, Marie.
People tell me that my soon-to-be-self-pubbed novel “Emerald Isle” reads like it was written by a lady, and I take that as a compliment, since it’s in the contemporary Christian romance genre.
Be glad to be an honorary lady, and I’ll even dig out a kilt.
But I will NOT shave my legs.
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Haha!
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I can so relate…I think the hardest thing is staying faithful in the ‘little things’ while waiting for the next ‘big thing’ around the corner. But God is faithful to finish what He started! (visiting from FMF)
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He definitely is, Liz!
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Really loved your post. I’m in a similar place myself and I chuckled at some of your words! Patience is a virtue, as they say! {A FMF friend}
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Indeed, patience is a virtue…even if I sometimes see it as a swear word! Thanks for stopping by.
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LOL!!!!!!
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so true! I can totally relate to this! “Speak up here and stay quiet there. Push through this and wait in that. Yet in both the pushing and the waiting, I am learning (again) that I have zero control over the responses of others”
This is a hard lesson in deed! Thanks for the reminder that He teaches us through our listening and obeying the instruction given!
Great chatting with you last night! 🙂
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I so often wish that I did have control, but then I realize that I can’t handle that level of responsibility! It would be awful. Enjoying chatting with you, too! 🙂
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My plans gets met NO-where HIS plans get me everywhere! AMEN Thanks for this true word.
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So glad you were blessed by it!
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Love this: My plans get me nowhere. His plans get me everywhere. We are all learning, Marie! #FMF
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I’m glad I’m not the only one trudging through this lesson. 🙂
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It was great chatting with you last night, Marie :). I know exactly how you feel with the ‘internal foot taping.’ I do a lot of that–as if the world depended on me getting some place at a certain time. Thank you for the reminder to listen while I wait.
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“…as if the world depended on me getting some place at a certain time.”
Ooooo. Good word!
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I know it seems like both quotes are going in opposite directions but patience can be very challenging. It also means that when God says “go” you have to be ready for it.
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Makes perfect sense to me, James.
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Oh so very true! God is definitely in control in all of the waiting that we do. I am like you where I am speaking up here and staying silent there. Wow! I have definitely been feeling that tug-of-war in both directions that you mentioned. Thanks for sharing what you think about wait! And yes, I love the way we are all connected through the body of Christ with these link-ups too! Have a great weekend!
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Okay, I think that God is up to something here since He seems to be talking to so many of us about whey to stay silent AND when to speak up. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a good weekend, too!
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Marie, your words resonates with many of us. It can become tiresome and frustrating to wait. I’ll pray for your situation you’re speaking of. I too am in a period of “waiting”…sort of… hard to explain. Anyhow, I hope you have a great weekend! God Bless 🙂
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Waiting is often hard to explain to people who are outside of the situation. Prayers for patience!
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