There is something that grates against the fallen nature of mankind which I have been acutely aware of in my own life. It is that knowledge that God has not given me a "yes" or "no" to my prayers for direction, but a "wait."
We had a plan. It was a perfect plan in our eyes. Wait it out a month or two and be moved on to another church, another ministry, and truth be told, I probably wouldn't be sitting here writing this blog. We would have been far from here and engaged in who knows what type of kingdom work. This was a good plan, right?
And yet, He tells us to wait. The nerve.
It's funny how many times that we (all of us, but myself, chiefly) go the the Lord with the blueprints to our plans, lay them out before Him, and say "Alright, work Your super Jesus magic!" I wonder how many times the Lord has face palmed over our finite grasp on His infinite work. It's kind of like the boy who tries to explain to his father the best way to drive a car... completely ignorant of his father's sense of direction and ability to control the speeding craft of engine and steel.
This again shows God's limitless patience with me... with us. If I were steering the vehicle, we'd be in a ditch or the car would be on fire. But God, like a patient father, gently says, "Wait. I'll show you where we're going once we get there." And you know, I've never been disappointed when we do.
I am reminded of the line J.R.R. Tolkien wrote for his wizard Gandalf: "A wizard is never late or early. He always arrives precisely when he means to." And though God is ever-present with us and His plans for us in motion around us, we seldom see just what He is up to until the time of His choosing.
Now, I realize that this may sound rather calculated, like we are simply rats in a maze, having our path directed by a hunk of cheese, but it isn't. You see, we make the choices to follow His leading or remain apathetic. And some times when bring our heart's desires before the Lord and they match up with God's desires for us, God high-fives Himself because we've actually been paying attention to His prodding. Some times, parts of the blueprints actually match up, but the timing doesn't. And God tells us to wait.
Waiting is never fun. It hasn't been for us. We're ready to move on. But you know, we have been able to experience so many blessing during this time. I'm going to write about some of those shortly.
