Waiting.

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Ps 27:14

My family and I are waiting right now. We are waiting for God to reveal his plan for us, as we seek to move to a new area of the country. We have been anticipating the move for several years now, and it seems that the time has come to move from plans to real life.

That is to say, we are mentally and emotionally moving forward with plans. The solid part of the plans havent materialized quite yet. We still have to take care of the home we own, and get housing and jobs in our new town. We are working on all those things, and while the promise is there and the hope of all of it working well is present, in "reality" nothing is happening...yet.

As is so often the case when our minds and hearts move forward without our bodies (or things physical), we are finding ourselves in a bit of anxious state with all this waiting.

The truth is, we are ready to do the next thing. We are ready to move to the next step. We are anxious to move onward, and eager to face our future whatever it may be. "

It is hard to wait on the Lord.

Actually, its not as hard to wait on the Lord as it is to do it in a way that is peaceful. In this case, the waiting part isnt much of an option really.

For our want of trying, we can't move ourselves into the next phase quite yet. Despite our efforts, we still remain planted firmly where we were to start with. The hard part is being here, and waiting quietly ..trusting, knowing his time is perfect.

Maybe you are there too. Perhaps the circumstances are different - perhaps you are waiting for God to answer your prayers for a child, or for a husband to come home. Maybe you are waiting for a promise to be kept, a check to come through, a conflict to resolve or a hard-earned reward to be given at long last.

For us, this week was one where we waited more than weeks past for something to come through; anything that would show us now was the time to move actively forward with things. Mentally, we have been praying for Friday - to have some clarity on our next move. Well, it's clear to us today that we are simply to keep waiting.

Its this week, as we have been so anxious for something to happen, that the scripture  "In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation." Ps 5:3 ..speaks to my heart.

So also, "I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope." Psalms 130:5

I love the the connection between hope and waiting here ..I love that a heart that is full of hope waits differently that one that is not.
 
I am reminded over and over again this week of these words:   "Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;  but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. " Isaiah 40:30-31

I have always loved that verse, but this week I saw it in a new light ...I considered how exhausting waiting is!

I pondered, several times, how anxious I was ..even in my trust of God's timing. I noted how often my stomach ached with anticipation of God's movement, and noted how I have literally needed a nap every day this week.

Waiting can be exhausting - but hope can bring new strength.

With this in mind and heart, God showed me a real life illustration today ...my boys and I were watching two baby chickadees that have taken up residence in the flower bed near our house. When we first found them there were cries of alarm and concern as we thought they were hurt ...they must be to be just sitting there!

Realizing that these were just babies and they were just getting their flying wings, we have enjoyed just watching these little ones exercise their new little muscles in very short little spurts. They hop,  fly only a few feet and then rest. They rest for long enough for the boys to get restless, then they are off again. They rest, wait for their strength to be renewed and then they fly ...not quite soar as of yet, but they will get there.

God spoke to me this morning, the morning of our request to let His will be known, and by watching that bird I am reminded that "those whose hope is in the Lord will renew their strength."

Before those eagles can soar, they have to wait, renew their strength and get ready to fly again. While they wait, they know who created them. They know who named them. They have hope in the flights to come, and the elation of success that will come in time. For now, they take the time to rest, to wait and to renew their strength.

Youths can run and not grow weary, because they can rest in hopeful expectation when its time to renew their strength. They can soar like eagles, because just like eagles we can take the time and trust it takes to allow our strength to be renewed in times of waiting.

So ...my prayer for us, you and I who are waiting, let us wait with hope. Let us wait as a baby bird, who instinctively knows when their strength is renewed and they can move forward. Let us trust in our creator to tell us when to run, when to soar and when to be renewed.

What are you waiting for right now? Are you hopeful?