Don't miss it! -- One of the Dangers of Waiting

Ok, so ever since this post of mine, a few things have left me unsettled; like I left out part of the story. And, as always seems to be the case, my writer's block caused me to pause long enough to get the WHOLE picture. Here it is.

I've been learning about waiting on the Lord. It's been a hard lesson to swallow for this ridiculously independent, over-analyitical, too-smart-for-her-own-good, selfish, completely self-conscious young lady...and one that was OH SO NEEDED...

This whole waiting thing was never really something I had thought about. I always assumed that because I loved Him and [mostly] desired to serve Him, I could pretty much do as I pleased. The last few years, however, have shed some new light on this topic for me...which is why I feel like I only explored half of the issue; on here at least. So on with the rest...



The main point of my last post on waiting, was that as humans, we have this propensity for getting ahead of God and doing what we think He's going to do, and as a result we often miss out on what He had planned for us, and the blessings that come along with it. My caution was for us to realize this, slow down and wait for the Lord's timing to be abundantly clear.



It really is a great piece of advice, although sometimes too easy to follow. I know that I often get caught up in the trap that Kevin DeYoung was talking about on the Boundless Show a few weeks ago (while discussing his new book Just Do Something): sometimes we are so afraid of doing the wrong thing that we sit around and do no thing.



I want to go back to the lilac analogy - because it's where I started, and because the lilacs took me there themselves. Remember these?

I was so excited for these beautiful buds to bloom that I could taste it. Everyday on my way to work, I would stop and check their progress. As they started to bloom in shifts, I would think "Just one more day, and they'll be fully bloomed and I'll finally be able to cut some and take some great pictures to have!"

Mom and I went back and forth about it constantly, because she wasn't as 'patient' as I was. If you follow me on twitter, then you already know that I pretty much lost it, because she clipped a bunch to take to work with her. (I see now that she was just as excited as I was; she was just acting on that excitement, while I was being idle - more on that in a bit.) When I confronted her about it, we argued, Mom insisting they were as bloomed as they were going to get on the plant, they would open up more in the vase of water, and that it was time to enjoy them; while I insisted that we were cutting them too soon, thus limiting their beauty. If only we just waited a few more days, we would really be able to enjoy them at their fullest! And so I refused to take any for myself.

I went away for the weekend, confident that I was right and that there would be a sight to behold when I got home.

And then I came home.

To this:

Do you see what I see? Those delightful buds, once so pregnant with life, just waiting to burst forth and share their beauty, turned around and became these dead, burnt out buds on the other side of the process in just 3 days. While waiting so (in)patiently for the time to come, it came and went while I was completely unaware.

I cannot tell you how much I regret not listening to my mother (which is another post for another day) and taking in those flowers when I had a chance.

I'm sure you know where I'm going with this, but I need to finish it for myself.

Sometimes, we are so focused on waiting on God, that we miss what He's already doing (or has done). I am not in any way encouraging rash, irresponsible behavior. But I do think that sometimes we sit and twiddle our thumbs, all the while bemoaning to God, "Oh Lord, please __________ (provide a job/a means to make ends/a healing/a relationship, etc)" and He's yelling "Look, this is what I'm doing for you!" Sometimes it's a call-t0-action, sometimes it's an opportunity or a person we didn't expect, sometimes it's a reminder that He's in control and keep waiting. I know one thing, it is almost never exactly how we wanted Him to do it. And because we're not looking for God, we're looking for what we requested, we miss it.

This is not exactly how I had originally thought this post would go, but it's where I ended up. My point is, sometimes we need to wait until God's work is abundantly clear; but sometimes, what is clearly God is not so apparent to us. Have faith, stay in prayer and the Word, seek Godly counsel, and then act! Don't be so afraid of doing the wrong thing, that you don't do anything, and miss what He's doing in and for us.

This whole process started for me, because I had a very exciting opportunity open up, and I was waiting on the Lord to work out the details.

They didn't work out.

In the meantime, however, another opportunity became available to me. It made much more sense and the details worked out immediately.

But I was wholly focused on this other thing. I kept saying to God, "I really want to do your will, Lord. I'll know it's from you when these things fall into place; please help them to be complete soon. And help me be patient in the meantime."

All the while, He's working over here, fulfilling a need I didn't know I had, and I'm sure keeping me from something I didn't want or wasn't ready for.

I asked for lilacs, and got roses. And they sure are gorgeous.