AMANDA T. LISING
Something struck me while I was listening to a virtual retreat session by Dan Schutte with my mom. The video title was “Waiting in Hope,” and I automatically thought of the feeling of impatience surrounding me when I am waiting for something I want immediately. I have a feeling many people can relate to how slow and even painful it may feel to them. Then, it becomes even more painful when we are forced into an ominous silence.
Questions rush into my head to fill in the seemingly empty space. Will this take long? Will something unexpected happen? Is God even listening? It is a very scary thought. My consolation for the moment is when I remind myself that this is not my world anyway! As a Christian, my life is not really my own. Therefore, I must accept everything that comes – not passively let things pass by – but understand that to survive life’s uncertainties, I must relinquish ownership over things I cannot control.
I must actively comfort myself with the previous lessons I learned about God and use them as tools to combat negative emotions. So when the seeming silence arrives, I don’t expect an answer whenever I ask God questions. This way, I have a well I can draw water from when I feel he isn’t there. I can’t be greedy. Every day can’t be an ah-ha moment.
This attitude is just the same process I apply to take an exam. When the time comes for me to answer a particularly difficult question, I must rely on stored knowledge I have gathered beforehand. In this situation, I would like to remind myself to remember the graces I receive from trusting God. Things may not come immediately, but they come in God’s Perfect Time.
How far from our sight are the ways of the Lord
Far Beyond us the wisdom of God
The grace that’s been given
will be brought to the light
in the fullness of God’s perfect time
Each plan that we make
Every breath that we take
Has been blessed by the favor and promise of God
How far from our sight are the ways of the Lord
Far Beyond us the wisdom of God
The grace that’s been given
will be brought to the light
in the fullness of God’s perfect time
Each tear that we cried
Every dream that has died
Has been blessed by the favor and promise of God
How far from our sight are the ways of the Lord
Far Beyond us the wisdom of God
The grace that’s been given
will be brought to the light
in the fullness of God’s perfect time
Very insightful 🙏🏼
Hi Amanda. Thank you for your beautiful insight. Waiting is really where we grow in faith. As you said its where we have to dig into the knowledge we have gained. This I believe is how we grow. Our consolation is in knowing that from the time of Abraham, God has taught His people through waiting and so we are in good company.
Amanda, thank you for this very inspiring message to all of us. Yes, everything is in God’s time and we his creatures must only trust that our loving God hears all our pyayers.
Thanks for this wise reminder on the value of waiting. Mary had to wait nine months until her Christ Child was born. She waited and searched for three days before she and Joseph found the missing boy Jesus in the temple. She waited from Good Friday until Easter Sunday to see her Son come back to life.
The poet, John Milton, seeing the value of waiting ended his “On His Blindness,” with:
“They also serve who only stand and wait.”
Hi Amanda! Only a true child of God , who loves Him dearly, can say, ” they come in God’s perfect time”.
Hi Amanda, thank you for sharing this beautiful reflection on God’s perfect timing. Truly reminds me of my own discomfort of not knowing the Lord’s response to my heart’s innermost longings, but the need to just trust in His good and perfect timing. God bless your kind heart.
To our dearest Mandy!
May you now rest peacefully in the warmth of God’s embrace!
All the toil is done; the stirrings, the anxieties; the long wait is over!
In the fulness of time, He has called you! That can only be PERFECT! Everlasting joy be yours. You are now COMPLETELY in the Lord!
May she rest in peace.
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