1 April 2020

The voice on the phone line was a bit frazzled. “Could you come and pick us up because the car has broken down.” After asking my daughter where she was, I grabbed my car keys, plugged the address into google maps and drove off.

Arriving at the address along a very busy highway the waiting started.

Waiting on the phone to find a mechanic.

Waiting for a tow truck.

Waiting and amusing a 2-year-old while waiting.

Waiting amongst the noisy, busy traffic of trucks, cars and motorbikes.

Waiting in the car till it got too hot because the car air conditioner could not be turned on due to the car being broken down. 

Waiting in the hot sun trying to find any shade.

We could not make the time go any faster. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting.

Later it made me reflect upon how impatient we get in waiting especially if we get uncomfortable or we get tired. The longer the time to wait, the higher the frustration.

How often have I been frustrated in prayer by the waiting? No answer to my prayers or a feeling in my spirit, to just wait, wait some more.

URGH that word!

But doesn’t God wait for us lots? Waits for us to understand, to get it. Waits for us to turn to Him. Waits for us to be grateful, to ask Him for help. Waits for us to praise and worship Him. Waits for us to turn back to Him when we have ignored Him, forgotten about Him deliberately or accidentally.

Oh, what love, mercy and graciousness.

We are often NOT that gracious. We complain, nag, get angry, and even judge God or others. No waiting for me.

Above and beyond this waiting, our God Waits upon us. Like a servant. Jesus demonstrated this at the Last Supper and spoke about this Kingdom value throughout His Ministry.

“But this is not how it is for you, instead, whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first and most important among you must be slave of all.” Mark 10:43

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

“And Jesus took off his outer garments, and taking a servant’s towel, He tied it around His waist. Then He poured water into the basin and began washing the disciple’s feet… You do not realize now what I am doing, but you will fully understand it later…” Luke 13:4

But do we fully understand it? I don’t. I’m still learning the Heart of My Servant King. I’m still trying to follow in His footsteps. His is a selfless Lover. Sorry to say, I so often am thinking just about me and my comfort and my circumstances.

And so, in the waiting, may I learn more of serving and waiting upon others. Waiting upon Him who sacrificed Himself for us all. 

I’m learning to wait with more patience when someone does not understand me or does not listen to me. When I have to wait in minutes, hours, days, weeks, months or years for my desires, my prayers, my goals and dreams to eventuate. I’m learning to get strength from God in the waiting.

May I listen to the scripture:

May these jottings from my journal inspire you to believe in and fall in love with Christ- the hope of the world, as stated in Jeremiah 17:7, ‘Blessed is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord and whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord!’

Love

Rosemary

Every week groups of ladies meet together to chat about the things I raise in my weekly blog post and to chat about life in general. We call these ‘Heart Connect’ groups. If you would like more information please click HERE.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Where do you need to practice waiting?

What tools have you learnt to implement to wait better?

Spiritually, where do you need to wait upon the Lord more? Where do you need to follow His example of servant waiting?