Tell them now

I think we can all agree that waiting is not how we like to spend our time.

• Waiting in line at the check-out counter
• Waiting to hear back on that job interview
• Waiting for test results from the doctor

If we had it our way, waiting would be non-existent.

• First in line
• Immediate feedback
• Instant results

Alas, we cannot rush through the waiting in most cases. And often, it is in the waiting that we grow and learn and develop into who God wants us to be.

On the other hand, we CAN avoid one type of waiting. You know, that thing you tell yourself you'll get to one day when it's more convenient or easier or would require less humility. The thing you figure you'll always have the opportunity to do...tomorrow...

What is that thing? Telling someone how much they mean to you. 

I was so blessed this morning to wake up to a message from a former student (before I changed career paths) who is graduating from high school this year. He wrote me the kindest note, thanking me for being a "great teacher" and an "inspiration" to him. What a surprise! Tears filled my eyes as I thought about the time and intentionality it took for a high school senior, in the midst of a busy, busy time of life, to think back on someone who taught him in sixth grade and thank her. It absolutely made my day.

And it made me think...who am I putting off thanking? Who is it that touched my life recently or in the distant past that I keep telling myself I need to thank or tell how much they mean to me? 

And why is it that I put it off? Sometimes, I think I put it off in hopes of finding some super-creative way to send the message. Sometimes, I think that I'm too busy to invest the time. Sometimes, I'm just lazy. None of these are good excuses. Yes, I think a genuine thank-you or message of encouragement should take some time to craft or rehearse. We ALL can make this kind of time.

Let's DO this. Think through those people who have impacted or are impacting you right now. Tell them how much they mean to you. Tell them often! I have yet to meet someone who gets tired of being appreciated.

"From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled;
with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied" (Prov 18:20). 

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" (Col 3:12). 

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law" (Gal 5:22-23).

Another year is dawning

Over the past two to three months, Chuck preached a series he titled "What If...?" The last message, "What If You Were to Die Tonight?" was supposed to take place on 12/8/13, but the ice storms pushed it out two weeks (We had the pleasure of experiencing the Christmas concert during church last week since it also had to be rescheduled, and it was a full house for both services!).

In a sobering way, I think (well, I know) it was providential for this message to be the last one of 2013 and lead us into the new year. Thinking about death - its inevitability, its mystery, its unpredictable nature - brings life into perspective. It makes me think differently about what happened this year, what I'm anxious about in the coming year, and what I hope for in life.

With the impending flip of the calendar into the new year in mind, we also sang a well-chosen hymn that can be a strong prayer for 2014: "Another Year is Dawning."

"Another year is dawning, Dear Father, let it be,
In working or in waiting, Another year with Thee;
Another year of progress, Another year of praise,
Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.

Another year of mercies, Of faithfulness and grace;
Another year of gladness, In the shining of Thy face;
Another year of leaning Upon Thy loving breast;
Another year of trusting, Of quiet, happy rest.

Another year of service, Of witness for Thy love;
Another year of training For holier work above.
Another year is dawning, Dear Father let it be,
On earth or else in heaven, Another year for Thee."

These words stood out to me the most:

• In working or in waiting...
• Another year of progress...
• Another year of leaning...
• Another year of trusting...
• Another year of training...

In looking ahead to the coming year, I can see areas of my life that will include each of these - waiting, progress, leaning, trusting, training. And I'm sure there are areas that are not on my radar that will require one or more. 

May I be open to all of these growth opportunities in the coming year. And may you be open to everything the Lord wants to do in your heart and life in 2014.

Well-acquainted with waiting

The events in Moore, OK this past week hit close to home. My aunt had just moved into a house in Moore, and it was essentially totaled by the devastating EF5 tornado. She was home alone watching television, and her show was not interrupted with a warning. Hit in the head by a few pieces of debris, she did experience a concussion, but praise God there was no internal bleeding.

Thankfully, my cousins live within a few miles of her, so she was able to find refuge in their home the night the tornado hit. My cousin's wife kept us all updated on my aunt's condition and ended the night saying that the biggest challenge they faced was waiting for dawn and waiting to see what was left of the house.

Waiting.

As I tried to wrap my mind around my aunt's new season of waiting (for a night and for many months ahead), my own seasons of waiting shifted in perspective. Yes, they are still meaningful and challenging for me, but when you see someone else's unique season of waiting, it can be comforting to know you're not alone.

My thoughts wandered to Jesus' seasons of waiting. He is well-acquainted with waiting. Growing up, He was waiting for the time to begin His ministry. He learned the trade of a carpenter and then began teaching in the Temple. But He had to wait until He received God's blessing to begin His ministry on earth. What anticipation must He have felt to pursue His calling?

Then, He was ultimately waiting to die. He knew what He was sent to earth to do (Matthew 16:21, Mark 8:31, etc.). What agony must He have felt during that season of waiting? 

And now...even now He is waiting. God is waiting for the right time to move forward with His plan. How comforting is it to know that what He asks of me (to wait on Him), He endures Himself. God can do whatever He wants, whenever He wants, and yet He Himself waits for the right time.

He is there with me in my season(s) of waiting. And so I will wait with courage and faith that He is growing me into who I need to be through the waiting.

Something we all have in common

Waiting.

Just like the saying "everyone puts their pants on one leg at a time," we are all waiting for something. Waiting for that next birthday, or promotion, or paycheck. Waiting for a husband or a wife or a child. Waiting for a fun trip or news from a doctor. Waiting for healing or reconciliation.

It is easy to become consumed with whatever it is we're waiting for and forget that everyone is in the waiting. I was reminded of that today when I visited my sweet grandfather in the assisted living center. Over his favorite Sonic meal, he brought up his own cause for waiting. This man, who has walked the earth for 88 years and was married for 67 of them, who has lived through wars and disease and injuries and the loss of my dear Meemaw, continues to face a season of waiting. He hasn't outgrown it or graduated from it. Does he ever get impatient? Sure he does! Don't we all?

And yet, his conclusion today was that God knows what He is doing and we have to trust Him.

Waiting is not a childhood or young adult phase or a class you can skip or pass. It is something we all face for varying lengths of time and during which we experience varying levels of suffering or pain or loneliness or heartache. 

In the Bible, David writes a song about waiting on God. He asks God how long he'll have to wait. When you read Psalm 13, it is so easy to commiserate with David - easy to ask how long and why. And yet, this man in waiting determines in his heart that he will trust the Lord,

 

"But I trust in Your unfailing love;

my heart rejoices in Your salvation.

I will sing the Lord's praise

for He has been good to me."

Waiting is hard stuff, but it does not mean God has forgotten us. He is right there, facing it with us. So often what we need is a change in perspective. I got that from Peepaw today - a reminder that I'm not the only one in waiting. And there is comfort in that.

"Teach us, O Lord, the disciplines of patience, for to wait is often harder than to work."
- Peter Marshall

"Trusting God doesn't alter our circumstances. Perfect trust in Him changes us."
- Chuck Swindoll