Saturday, March 5, 2016

"Are we there yet?"

  Recently I was talking to a friend about waiting on God. Questions like Why, What's the point, and What does he want me to learn were being asked. Frustration was voiced as to why if he says he will give me the desires of my heart and I have been obedient and patiently waiting is he still not giving me what I want?? 
 
    My own story started six years ago when I was diagnosed with my 1st autoimmune disease. I prayed for healing and I asked my friends and family to pray as well. I prayed daily and guess what??? He didn't heal me and he has yet to. I have learned though that if God healed me right away liked I prayed for I never would have changed my ways. I would probably still be eating fast food lunches and I never would have started working out. Strangely enough I now say I am glad he didn't heal me because I have learned so much about myself, my relationship with food and how it fuels my body. I have also learned more about my husband and his ability to easily adjust to my dietary changes. All of this got me thinking of the phrase "Are we there yet?" 


    Imagine you tell your kids we are going on a trip and it will take about 10 hours to get there. You know that Disney in the destination and your kids will love everything about it! The food, the lights, the music, the characters, the hotel and the fireworks! Imagine also if you stopped the first time your kids got impatient and asked "Are we there yet?" Your end destination is now a small town with nowhere special to eat, no fireworks, and not fancy character filled hotels. Instead because you are the adult and you know the final picture you don't stop. You don't give into their complaints and you keep going all the while listening to them asking 3 million more times "Are we there yet!!??" You keep going not so you can torture your children, but because you know the final destination! This place you have spent months planning for is going to be amazing and so worth it! It will be far better than the first time they wanted to stop and far better than anything they ever could have imagined! 


  We are those kids in God's eyes. Ten hours or ten years is really all the same to him. If he stopped his plans the first time we prayed or asked what would we be settling for? What would we miss out on? He is the "adult" he knows so much more what the outcome will be! He knows that if we just wait a little longer it will all be so worth it! Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Be strong and patient while waiting on the Lord. He is working in your favor and it will be worth it.