trbccoffeebreak

“Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.” Psalm 25:5 (ESV)

For months our living room has been bare – no sofa, no place to sit. We gave our old sectional away and went in pursuit of a replacement. When we finally found “the one,” we were anxious to get the order placed. Problem was it would take several weeks to get it. No problem we thought, we can make do with no furniture. And then COVID happened, manufacturers were closed and our furniture was on permanent hold.

Four months later, the long anticipated delivery was on its way to our house. The delivery team were professionals, courteous and carefully assembled our furniture. And that’s when we noticed two pieces of the sectional weren’t correct. Luckily, they let us keep the sofa while we wait on the manufacturer to correct the error.

Nothing drowns out our excitement and joy more than realizing what we’ve been waiting for turns out to not be quite what we expected. We’ve all probably experienced those moments of let down, disappointment and frustration. And if we’re not careful we can zero in on what didn’t happen and forget God’s goodness sprinkled over a lifetime of His faithfulness to us.

During my single parenting years, I often felt overlooked, misplaced and lacking. The life I had dreamed of didn’t happen, and the things I never wanted to happen loomed large. Prayer time was strained on many occasions because my focus drifted from what God was graciously providing to what I felt He wasn’t giving me. My waiting for the long anticipated happy ending was too far in the distant.

Sweet friends, I’m so glad my perspective evolved, and I learned to trust in God’s timing and His provision. What seems like an endless wait in our eyes is simply seconds in view of God’s timetable. Those years of waiting, trusting and at times doubting and giving up weren’t wasted. God orchestrated deep lessons in my wait and purified my motives and desires ultimately aligning me to His will. And He will do the same for you.

The unexpected will always catch us off guard and seek to deflate our joy. If we remember God’s track record of loving us deeply and doing what is best, then we won’t allow disappointments to thrust us into manipulating our own perceived happy endings. We will be satisfied in Him. We will trust Him. We will claim His promises when waits overextend. We will patiently pursue Him and obey His commands not because of what we will receive but because of His deep love for us.

“Father, You will never disappoint those who put their faith and trust in You alone. Thank You for teaching us to wait on Your leading and guidance for our lives.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life