Waiting Patiently (or not so much) On God.
You know the days when you feel on top of the world, as if you have all the strength, patience and faith to accomplish anything? Well, this was not one of those days. Tired, discouraged and impatient for things in my life to change, weariness was coursing through my body. “When, God? When?” I asked.
Praying for encouragement.
I went for a walk and prayed for some encouragement. A butterfly flew by me. My response? “REALLY? That is supposed to encourage me today?” To be fair, normally, it would have, since I love butterflies, such beautiful insects. They are my favorite insects, always so pretty and delicate, and the ONLY insect I actually like. My mom told me when I was a little girl I would scream at the top of my lungs whenever an insect came anywhere near me. She would come running thinking something horrible had happened to me, only to discover the tiniest insect on the other side of the room. This reminds me of a day when I was teaching grade 1 children and discovered that the field trip for the science fair consisted of examining insects outside in the ravine. You can imagine the look on my face when I found out, and the day of the field trip with me trying to look excited when the kids found an insect and just had to come and show it to me!!! Don’t get me wrong, I love being outdoors in nature, but some of nature is better at a distance, don’t you think? That day, I saw enough creepy crawlers to last a lifetime.
Being real with God.
As I was saying, butterflies are pure beauty to me. On this day, however, I was not having it. “That’s it?” I thought. We are supposed to be real with God, aren’t we? I was being my true, honest, self in that moment, even if I was acting a little ungrateful. I prayed, “I need more encouragement than that today!” Minutes later, I saw an eagle wing on the grass; I looked up and saw an eagle flying high above. Isaiah 40:31 from the bible came to mind: “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.” “Thank you!” I whispered.
God speaks to us in quiet ways.
We may ask for spiritual help and encouragement, and even more if we feel that we need it. It shows our faith, doesn’t it? On those hard days, be honest with God about how you are feeling and seek His help. Remember to be grateful, though, and blessings are assured.
The next day, I was painting some flowers while listening to Christian music. A beautiful song started playing, “Always on time,” (Elevation Worship). REALLY. And you guessed it: the song is about God always being on time. Once again, I whispered, “Thank you!” God responds to us, our questions and our needs, sometimes in quiet ways, if we pay attention, and we come to realize it is the power of God providing love and comfort in our daily lives.
When will God answer our prayers?
Are you feeling weary today, asking God, “When?” Bills, health issues, family conflict, addictions, unemployment, mental health; we all have our struggles. However, one of the benefits of getting older is gaining experience. Looking back at my life, God never came early or when I thought He should, even when I suggested to Him that it seemed like a great time to intervene, as if God needs my help, or even when my requests became more urgent or louder. Maybe God didn’t hear me the first dozen times I asked? Then, finally, I realized it was time to surrender and wait patiently on Him. Waiting patiently (or not so much) on God tests our faith in Him and His promises. Don't be too hard on yourself. We all have our good and bad days. I know I have, often pleading, plodding, planning, thinking I was being patient. I have learned that He will come in perfect Divine timing and like the song says, “Always on time.”
Be like the eagle.
Remember the eagle and picture yourself soaring high above it all held by the hand of the almighty Father. Trust that He won’t let you fall.
Deborah Ann Minke, M.A., B. Ed., OCT, CH-C
Energize and Rise LLC
(I write my own blogs :)
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