JUST WAIT A MINUTE!

I have one more thought which bears sharing---NOW--I am not certain anymore will come--but for today there is one.

 

WE ALL SHARE THIS SENTIMENT

I have joined a lady's Bible Study at the church I loosely claim as my home church. (That is another topic.)  This study is in the format of BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) and since the church is huge---so is the Bible Study.  There are several hundred women who attend, but we are divided into tables of 12 for discussion purposes.  These tables will be the same 12 women for the entire year--so hopefully we will get to know one another.  

Each week we study the week's assignment before our meeting and answer three pages of questions.  At our table time we discuss our answers, before the lecture on the week's chapter.  ALWAYS at the end of the questions is a prayer request.  It is my belief we will never grow to really know each other unless we are able to open up about our personal struggles.  Asking me to pray for you mother's first cousin's grandchild's dog--while perhaps worthy --does not tell me anything about you.  Why are we so hesitant, in the company of fellow believers, to admit our personal struggles?  Sorry--I digress.

The point of this long tale is I recently asked for the table to pray for God to point me to the ministry He wants me to become active in.  If you have read, for any length of time, my epistles, you know I have had a variety of ministry experiences--from gutting flooding houses to working with the elderly (I definitely qualify).  Always I have felt prompted in one direction or another.  A couple of times--my arm was twisted--but God faithfully used the experience---even when it was ill fitted and I was not really prompted by Him.  Since I have moved, I have had no promptings--no pull--and sometimes wonder if God has finished using me.  (We all know that is not true--He uses us in our prayer life continually).  One of the lady's assured me she knew I would be busy with ministry again in the year to come.  I discovered later she is the wife of the lead pastor and began to wonder if I should have kept my request to myself.  We all know the pastor will put you to work.  

SO I made the request the first  week we had questions--was I NOT expecting an answer?  The answer was actually in the form of a sermon a couple of weeks later.  We are studying Acts in this sermon series and my answer was not a direction.  My answer was have patience.  That was not what I was expecting---but most definitely struck a nerve.  We begin to think we serve a God who not only hears our prayers--but should instantaneously answer them.  I KNOW in the back of my head that God answers with "Wait" at times, but it never dawned on me when asking for a direction in ministry that might be His answer.  Why?

Perhaps He is teaching me to "Wait upon the Lord".  Could it be?  His plans are not my plans----I know the things He has planned for me---over and over in The Word we are told to be still and wait.  I forgot--Forgive me, Lord.  So I am resting in the assurance He has a plan--and in His good time--He will reveal His plan.  In the meantime, I am praying with patience and trust.

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him."

Psalm 37:7

"But they that wait upon the Lord

shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings as eagles;

they shall run, and not be weary;

they will walk and not faint."

Psalm 40:31