They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:30) Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. (Psalm 27:14) Love is patient; love is kind (I Corinthians 13:4 NIV)
So, often in our Christian walk, God bids us to wait upon Him. There are promises throughout scripture for strength, victory, peace and even joy as we learn to wait upon God in the midst of any circumstance. There was a time that I would have said, “God, please let me just skip this lesson on patience. It is not one that I am going to ever learn, so can we move on to something else?” Yet, God knew that this was a lesson which is vital to both my faith and my ability to love Him as I should. Patience while waiting is both an act of faith and an act of love toward God.
As I wrote in the last post, I arrived into Columbia with great anticipation of all that God was going to do. He had moved rapidly in preparing my move. Mountains were flattened and laid at my feet. After I arrived, there was the bitterest cold winter with snow fall after snow fall. Each day I would carefully, cautiously make my way safely to work in my car not made for snow. The short sale on my house in Florida had come to a standstill. The applications for a second job only ended in closed doors. For the first time in all of my career, I was being turned down for a job. Financially it was tough on a part time job. Certainly God knew this. So, I opted to have no cable, kept my house at the bare minimum of heating while wearing layers of clothes to keep warm, and did everything I could to survive financially. At the end of each month I rejoiced that I made it. I never failed to tithe and God would stretch the remainder of the money.
In late March, Mom was coming to stay and I knew the expenses were going to suddenly rise. The house would have to be heated. She would have to have cable TV. Groceries would quadruple since Mom was always worried about the pantry being overflowing. Still, no second job came. There was the other factor in that my direct supervisor had her own emotional issues with self-confidence which meant it was always necessary for her to be critical of me to make her feel better. In addition, there had been so much new to learn as I was now first assist in procedures, learning how to review devices (a language different than any I had known before) and learning the computer systems within a new environment.
MOMENT OF TRUTH AND DECIDING TO WAIT
The moment of truth came when I was offered a full time job at another hospital. The hours would not allow me to remain in my part time job at the VA. I wondered whether this was God’s answer to prayer; yet, deep within my heart I knew it wasn’t. God had sent me to the VA hospital and He was asking me to “wait upon Him.” So, I waited. Oddly enough, it was the first time I had waited without being anxious. I even quit searching for another job. I would trust Him. Quietly, submissively I bowed with humility to those who were my superiors. God gave me the patience and the kindness to be able to learn all that was needed to be ready to do this job. Despite their own issues, they were skilled; so, I learned all that I could by being quiet and listening a lot. It was God’s Grace that carried me through those days. Me? I know I would have reacted quite differently to the criticism had it not been for God’s Grace lifting me up.
GOD’S RESPONSE FINALLY CAME
Then, spring came followed by a wonderful summer. One by one the supervisors that were so critical left. My job changed from part time to full time. The house in Florida sold. God provided me with the strength and knowledge to do my job well. Each morning I prayed for God’s abiding grace.
Because I waited; I now can tell you “I am blessed beyond measure with the job I now have. I am still learning, growing. Each day is filled with tasks which keep me very busy—at times almost overwhelming. Still, it is with great joy I serve the Veterans. My supervisors are amazing. The Doctors I work under are both brilliant and kind. Never could I have known this much Grace.
CONCLUSION:
1. Waiting upon God is both an act of Love as well as an act of Faith
2. God always know what is the best plan for your life. You can trust Him.
3. “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32
Having learned so much, God had another very important lesson in love that I had yet to learn. He was about to bring one person back into my life to teach me that lesson and to forever remove the hollow hole that had been left when I laid down my dream of “Prince Charming”. Oh, that story must wait until another day; perhaps, Friday. Until then, my dear friends; what is God asking you to wait for today? I would love to hear from you and to pray with you. May God bless you with all that you need to find peace, joy, and love.
[tweetthis]Patiently waiting is more than an act of faith It is an act of love[/tweetthis]
The Song I Chose for You today is Deeper
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2016
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.