I appreciated yesterday that a person (a preacher none the less) stopped in his tracks to tell me and my friend something that they really appreciated reading just at that moment – that Billy Graham likened learning about faith from learning to play golf – that it was a game of waiting and humbleness… it was a tidbit that I agreed with (even if I don’t think of golf) – it was a tidbit to say – remember waiting is not without thinking.

and it is true –  with us faith is waiting… and God is waiting, counting on our faith too.

I get that – I got that – I will have to keep getting that…

The day ahead I knew was going to have waiting – at least it was sunday and I planned to be flexible. So, I timed my Mother’s day lunch just so – stopping at 3 places to bring the right hot food home to be timed when BOTH kids were ready to eat – and I was so hungry just thinking that I was hungry. AND GUESS WHAT? I WAITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but I worked HARD this time to not grumble. I waited…  that is like faith – wait it out – wait and see and not over react…
If I grumbled TOO HIGHLY then I would have upset my own perfect image of a nice lunch. If I grumbled to myself, I still grumbled. Of course I did feel blessed and remembered that I felt blessed. and I waited – but I did stress eat my salad, standing up, waiting and hid the rest into the fridge so it didn’t show my frustration of waiting. (trust me, it was worth eating as substitution this time – I thought this is the best substitute I could get as a human for processing when I would not JUST process by praying. and trust me praying is enough and faith is enough and God is enough. (but if you are going to stress eat anything, choose a salad to get your thru what you have to get thru and this salad was good and only $3 as a big side salad? wow!) I digress…

Why do we have to wait – why don’t we like to wait – why are we made to wait?UMMMM…. I think God knows A LOT about waiting. I think, actually I know, that God is neither sulking in a corner waiting nor storming up and destroying everything He created just to prove a point. God waits. 

God waits. Does God grow cold like my food? No.God waits. Does God give up on us? No. God waits. Does God ALREADY know His wait is worth it? YES.Is God Gracious? well, how could He not be. but does God want what He wants? You betcha!

When we sat down, we had a great meal, I didn’t have to cook, I didn’t have much to clean, I enjoyed sitting and I was forced to sit! I don’t usually sit – I was both blessed to sit and forced to sit in my own kitchen and that was weird because my kids carried on conversations and lingered. I was kinda ready to get up from the table but it was like they were ready to finally sit. weird. cool. blessed. it WAS worth the wait.

I prayed in thankfulness as I know many who can’t gather with their kids – and I prayed hopeful in recognition that I will always count my blessings and not grumble. I did remember that when we grumble, God gives us time to realize to be humble.

God is waiting for us at the table. He has set the table. He has the daily bread for us. Will we come? He is ready to hear about our day and soothe us. He is ready to strengthen us and comfort us because He understands our day. He also knows WHY we are eating – to strengthen for the next challenge. He knows that He is the best sustenance above all because HE gives LIFE. 

We have an opportunity to be with God and feel blessed. God wants us to feel love. In all, He makes us warm with love, and there is not any wait on that…I thought the other day about people who are angry with God and perhaps God wears a hot mitt until they cool down to realize He has always been holding them and taking care of them. As I sat at the table and turned to look out the window – the birds were grabbing bread I tossed in the compost pile. God gives them daily bread seeds and all. He does for us too. When we think about God, we should think about how He takes care of us. He does.

Thank You Lord for my day and my dinner and my hope and my help. Yesterday was Your day, let me make today the day I recognize YOUR WAY too.

Amen

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God will be Gracios
Isaiah 30:18 Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you;
And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
Blessed are all those who wait for Him.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+30%3A18&version=NKJV