One Day

That's all it takes is one day.

Have you ever had one of those days? Good or bad?

That kind of day where everything changes. On April 29, 2014, I first felt/heard God calling me to New Orleans. My life changed that day. On December 15, 2007, I left on my first trip to East Asia. My life changed that day. On July 26, 2006, my grandfather died. My life changed that day. Every time one of these days happen, you have to re-frame everything. It's almost like you're looking out of a different and brand new lens. Like before the lens was blue but that one day brought in red which made the lens turn purple. Nothing looks the same when the lens has shifted. Because either something has been taken away or something has been added. But no matter what has happened, it alters everything.

For some of you, everything changed when you lost a loved one, when you met your spouse, when you started college, when you lost your job, when you had a child, or when you made a big move. These days don't happen every day. And you never know when these days are gonna happen. You wake up one morning thinking everything is going to be the way it was yesterday, then boom. Everything changes.

We all have both kinds in our memory. The good life-changers. The bad life-changers. Maybe even the mediocre life-changers. God has been reminding me that as I wait for His plans, everything can change in one day.

All it takes is one day.

It can be hard waiting. Dr. Seuss and God are my two favorite authors on waiting. I take God's writing on waiting a little more seriously than I do Dr. Seuss but there's no denying that Dr. Seuss had a point when he wrote about the waiting place.

You can get so confused that you'll start into race down long wiggled roads at break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place. 

The Waiting Place ...

... for people just waiting. Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. 

Everyone is just waiting. 

Are you waiting? What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for graduation? Are you waiting for a job? Are you waiting for a miracle? Are you waiting for love? Are you waiting for a child?

There is waiting in every stage of life. I think the part where Dr. Seuss got it wrong was calling the waiting a place a useless place. I don't believe God considers it a waste at all. I believe that is when God is most at work in the waiting place.

The waiting place doesn't have to be useless. The waiting place can be a time of sweet fellowship with God and even those who are walking the same path as you. I have been immensely blessed with how God has literally figuratively thrown other singles or couples in my path to strengthen, encourage, and bless me. I could not even name all of those people. The list is too long.

But I long for that one day. Not just any one day. That one day where I meet my husband and everything changes. I'm not ashamed of this longing. I'm not embarrassed of this longing. I was created with this longing. Sometimes I long quietly and happily with a divine sense of contentment. And sometimes I long like a three year old who just didn't get their way with a full-fledged crying tantrum {don't lie ... you know you've had those too}. Here recently I've unfortunately been more on the three year old end of longing which we could also call demanding.

Someday we will celebrate Christ's unwillingness to give in to our demands --- even when our begging broke His heart. He is working the greater work. Still, He has overwhelming compassion for our pain and confusion. Christ doesn't grow impatient and wonder how we can be so foolish to hurt over earthly losses. he doesn't even sigh and whisper, "If you only knew." His heart bleeds with mercy, and He comes to our aid. Oh, beloved, can you trust a heart like His? {Beth Moore, Whispers of Hope}

But then I read that quote. It was like a tidal wave that swept over my heart drying my tears and silencing the lies. He does care. He does know. He does hear. He does see me. He does love me.

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." {Psalm 27:14, NIV}

I believe He wants that one day for me more than I want it for myself. God delights in seeing his children happy. But He also delights in His children finding joy while we wait for that one day.

The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who WAIT for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not be faith." {Isaiah 40:28-31, ESV}

I may be in the waiting place, but I wait with anticipation of God fulfilling my every desire in HIM. Did you read that right? I didn't say that I wait with anticipation of God fulfilling MY every desire. I wait in anticipation of God fulfilling my every desire in HIM and HIM alone. Because even if/when that one day does come, it won't fulfill my every desire. Only He can do that.