WHAT TO DO WHILE I WAIT

Jim was working the sound equipment at church this morning so we had to be there early.  When this happens and I’m not teaching Sunday school, I usually drop him off and then head to Panera for some coffee till it’s time for church.  I did that today, and when I did, I brought along my copy of, “Experiencing God”, by Henry T. Blakaby and Claude V. King, an oldie but a goodie.  More about that in a minute!

I can’t remember what it’s like not to serve the Lord through my church.  Since we have lived in this area we have been members of three different churches and in each one we were involved in some kind of ministry.  Jim has served as a deacon and as a financial officer, as he does now as treasurer of our current church.  I have always been involved either in teaching women, or teaching children, sometimes both at the same time.  And it has been glorious to serve the Lord in whatever capacity He has in mind.  So, one of the things I’m finding hard about waiting for the move to Florida is that it’s kind of a down time for me in terms of ministry and looks to be so for many months yet.

Now that is NOT a bad thing!  Summers, when teaching ministries are taking a break, I usually use the time to begin studying some book of the Bible just for the pure pleasure of study.  I love doing this because I just love seeing God in all His glory through His Word, but I also love doing it because the Lord has so often used what I studied personally to give me material for a teaching assignment that isn’t even on MY radar yet – although it’s certainly on His!  This summer, however, all this moving business has proved to be a huge distraction! 

I spend some quiet time with the Lord nearly every day, but my mind keeps wandering off to my long “to do” list (as it does in the middle of the night when I should be sleeping!).  When I’m not thinking about doing, I’m actually doing, and when I’m not actually doing, I’m exhausted from all the doing I’ve already done!  So it was a delight to sit in Panera’s with my coffee and a berry scone and just lose myself in “Experiencing God”.  I was rewarded with some reminders I really need to hear.

In this time of waiting on the Lord:

·       My focus needs to be on HIM – not on my “to do” list, the sale of a house, our future, the lack of ministry.

·       My focus needs to be on God’s greater purpose for this time of waiting 

·       Instead of asking, “When will this be over so we can move?”, I need to be asking, “How can I cooperate with You, Lord, to accomplish Your much bigger purposes”, while we wait and it’s a ministry down time.  God is still at work around me and He wants me to join Him in that work.  If my focus is on Him, He’ll be able to point it out.

·       I want things to move along quickly.  I want them to go smoothly.  I’m ashamed to say that it has never occurred to me that the Lord may have a purpose for me in these up and down days of waiting, beyond just, waiting.

Henry Blackaby reminded me that during this time I CAN still be active in the work of God.  It isn’t all about ME, MY SELF, MY HOUSE, MY FUTURE – it IS about God, and the work He’s still doing HERE that He just might want me to be part of.

Instead of worrying and fretting, or being distracted by the details, I can adjust my attitude and my life in anticipation of what He still up to around me, while we still live right here, in this house, on this block, in this town, in my church. . . . .

If all I do is focus on a house, a move, a future, I just might miss what the Lord wants to do right here, right now.  The Lord has all of that in hand.  My job at the moment?  Keep my eyes on Him and watch for His opportunities to join Him in His work.