Chaos! Boxes everywhere. We wind our way through stacks of boxes to every destination in the house. We are moving. Land-wise the move is not distant, only about 100 miles. Work-wise however, the distance might as well be across the ocean. To put it in the vernacular, we are in a dither.
Wade Paris
Yesterday, an appraiser came to do an appraisal for the buyer. We thought it had already been done. We tried to contact our realtor, but he is in Bermuda, I think. For sure, he is out of the country. It is an understatement to say we became concerned. We have made a down payment on another home. Suddenly, we are back in “wait” mode, waiting for the next development.
Déjà vu. The circumstances are a bit different, but the “been there, done that” is the same. All I can do is what I always do in times like these, “Trust in the Lord with all my heart” (Proverbs 3:5) and keep packing. In many ways, I am a handyman. I mow my own grass, repair my own home, do many things myself. Then, along comes a difficulty I can’t fix. Another scripture I live by comes to mind, “Wait on the Lord; wait, I say, on the Lord” (Psalm 27:14).
Waiting on the Lord is to the spiritual life what exercise is to the physical life. That truth sustains me when I must wait on him. Just as exercise is not my favorite thing, so waiting is way down on my list of “likes.” Yet, I know the importance of waiting on him and not taking matters into my own hands.
Abraham and Sarah grew tired of waiting for God to keep his word about an heir. They decided to help God out, and Ishmael was born by Hagar, Sarah’s slave. The Hebrews waited thousands of years for the Messiah. While they waited, they speculated on what the Messiah would be like. Sadly, when their waiting was over and the Messiah, Jesus, arrived, they missed him because he did not fit their speculations.
There are several things one can do while waiting. You can pray. Talk with God. Spell out what you hope will happen. Being specific in our prayers helps us evaluate the worthiness of our wishes. While we wait, we can recall the many times we waited and God met our need. For what it is worth, God often answers our prayers at the “eleventh hour.”
Wade Paris writes a weekly syndicated column, “The Shepherd Calls.”
