"Once we clearly acknowledge the soul, we can learn to hear it's cries. - Dallas Willard, Renovation Of The Heart."

It takes courage to pursue our dreams. It takes time and patience to unearth buried treasure. But I believe with all my heart that we must do both.

12.14.2009

Anticipation



Anticipation lifts the heart.

"Paul gives us an astonishing understanding of waiting in Romans, as rendered by Eugene Peterson,"Waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother.We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy." With such motivation, we can wait as we sense God is indeed with us, and at work within us, as he was with Mary as the Child within her grew.

Though the protracted waiting time is often the place of distress, even disillusionment, we are counseled in the book of James to "let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete." Pain, grief, consternation, even despair, need not diminish us. They can augment us by adding to the breadth and depth of our experience, by enriching our spectrum of light and darkness, be keeping us from impulsively jumping into action before the time is ripe, before "the fullness of time." I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his work I hope."

(the above is written by Luci Shaw - God with Us)

Have you been waiting long for something?? Have you given up hope?
God's timing is not our timing. But God's timing is perfect, it is always on time.

Advent reading for Monday: Psalm 25:3-8; Numbers 24:1-17; Matthew 21:23-27

"Oh my Lord, keep me from frustration and impatience when I see little evidence of your living and growing in me. Reassure me that waiting time is not wasted time. That your purposes for us all are large and all-embracing enough to hold firm and prevail, no matter the obstacles or distractions. You have told us that "now is the accepted time...now is the day of salvation." But perhaps your "now" is different from ours. You see our lives from the infinite perspective of eternity, of kairos. We want to see our problems being resolved. Now.

Help us to realize, as those who love and believe in you, that we, too, are pregnant with Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, and that day by day we are being enlarged. Augment our hope, widen our imagination, and nourish our anticipation that the astounding fact of "Christ in you, the hope of glory" will turn true in each of us in your good time. Amen."

(prayer by Luci Shaw - God with Us)

7 comments:

lori vliegen said...

beautiful post, mary! that message of "God's timing is not our timing" has been a lifelong lesson for me!! hugs, :))

TonyaA said...

I just wrote a blog about waiting... This is very touching. I need to remember these scriptures as I face my waiting too. Thank you for sharing.

Dena E's Blog said...

Wonderful post Mary, you just have a beautiful way of writting and its all so true. My Hubby and I remind each other of this ofetn with our business and to our boys. Thanks for stopping by my blog again its lonely in blogland at times..Theres that word again... ;0)
Big Hugs ~~~Dena

LeeAnn@Encouragement Is Contagious said...

Oh I love that verse! Hope as we wait upon God's timing. This summer I went through a trial period of waiting on the Lord to answer and this video was a blessing to me during that time. I'll share it with you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo2nJr7JHsI

Lee Ann

Unknown said...

What a blessing this is to me Mar, and I find waiting on our Lord is becoming easier the closer I get to HIM. (((hugs)))

Anonymous said...

Hi Mary. I agree with you...waiting at times can be quite difficult a thing to do. But waiting is the only thing that has helped me to learn patience, a virtue I truly need. When we wait on God in patience, we can never go wrong. God bless you, my sister.

My Journey to Hope said...

Mary, this post really spoke to me. Everyone I know is having a hard time right now financially, and the waiting is so difficult! Thank you for sharing this!

:) Michelle