Posts Tagged: peace

8. When Waiting Gets Tiring…

On August 30, 2019 by marloandco With 0 Comments - loved by the Father, Marlo & Co, Uncategorized

Have you ever waited for something for a while and it takes longer than you expected it to be?  You think I have waited long enough and whatever you are waiting on can come to fruition anytime now.  This is where I was a couple weeks ago.

Part of my season of rest has been waiting for God to lead me to my next step.  It is easy to say “I am good and just trusting God.” when asked how are life is going.  But then there are times that this isn’t true.  In the beginning, the waiting wasn’t that bad.  But after a couple months of resting and waiting on God’s timing, it caught up to me.

It was a Monday afternoon and I was watching a Steve Harvey clip that came up on my Facebook.  In this clip, Steve talked about how God got him to where he is today and that if God can do it for him then God can do it for you too.  And as I heard those words tears started to come to my eyes. I realized at that moment the waiting in this season was being to wear on me.  And that even though I trust God and His timing for my life, I realized in that moment I was starting to doubt.  I was getting tired of my season.  In this season of rest, I have gotten so many no’s and the no’s started to wear on my spirit and emotions.

I started to doubt and question… If I had done the right thing by quitting my job with no job in sight? Was that really what God wanted me to do?  Was it what I needed to do for myself?

That night I went to the Bible study and we chose one person to share what we were struggling with.  And when it was my turn, part of me wanted to just shut down what I was feeling but I knew I needed to share.  As I began to share with my friend, tears came to my eyes again and they kept coming as I talked about my feelings and doubts.  After my friend prayed for me and I shed some tears, I felt better.  My doubts and feelings were still there but after that I was reminded that I was not alone in my journey.

I realized it is ok for me to have these doubts and feelings but it is what I do with them that is the important part.  If I decided to dwell on my doubts and feeling rather than sharing them with someone else and giving them to God.  It would have lead to worry, worry to anxiety, and anxiety to stress.  Worry, stress and anxiety robs us of our peace and joy.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.  – Matthew 6:25-34

Another lesson I have learned through this season of waiting and rest, is that I do not have the right to say when my waiting is up.  Because when I try to make things happen that are not meant to happen yet, I am taking the role of God in my life.  I am not trusting Him.  He is  sovereign and knows what is best for me.  He sees the whole picture, I don’t.  I only see life through my view.  The reasons as to why my waiting period has not ended could be limitless.  There maybe something that God is trying to teach me or He wants me to truly learn what it means to trust Him or maybe I am suppose to be available to help or encourage someone.  But I do know that God can deal with my questions, feelings and doubts.  When I make the choice to go to God with my feelings, questions and doubts, though they may not all be solved, my peace and joy returns because I am trusting Him in the season of waiting.
***This is part of a series of blog posts of me sharing about my burnout and things I have been learning through this.  They are numbered in the order that they are written in and to indicate that they are part of this series.***
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7. Rest

On August 10, 2019 by marloandco With 0 Comments - loved by the Father, Marlo & Co, Uncategorized

At the beginning of this year, the words God gave me for this year was rest and trust.  In January, I had no idea how that would how literally this would play out in my life this year.  And honestly when God gave me these words I did not understand why He gave them to me.

Ten weeks ago when I quit my job, my plan was to take a week off (that was going to packed full of things) and then start a new job the next week.  Key words here is MY PLAN.  Not God’s plan.  I did have a job offer but I turned it down for numerous reasons.  So I ended my last job with no new job.  During the week after I quit my job, God pressed it on my heart to take a significant amount of time off before I start something else and for me to go away by myself.

In the first month of not working, I had no desire to work any job.  And it caught me by surprise that I did not want to work.  Anyone that knows me personally knows working is something that I have always done and I see value in it.  And it would give me anxiety when I do not have an ongoing income to pay bills and live on.  But not having the desire to work showed me that I needed this time to rest.  I needed time for my physical body, emotional being and my spiritual being to be able to rest and heal.

Six weeks after I quit my job, I went on vacation by myself for 12 days! Yes, you read that right, I went by myself to the Finger Lakes region in New York.  During this time I was able to sight see, meet up with a total stranger to trade a photoshoot, I visited a new church twice, chased the sunset one night, try iced custard made out of duck eggs, sit at a local coffee shop and work on my business for a few days, read a couple books, go see a movie alone, reconnect with some family that was in the area, and most importantly I took the time to connect with God and listen to his voice.  Where I was staying there was not internet or TV to distract me from hearing God’s voice.  In these 12 days God spoke to me and I learned what it means to rest and just stop without rushing to the next thing.

I am grateful for this season of rest.  I do not regret that I took time for this season.  It was a season that I needed.  In this season, God has provided for me in more than just finances.  And He has given me clarity and direction as to where He has called me to.  He met me in the moments that I was anxious and unsure that I had done the right thing.  He has spoken to me through the Bible, my time with Him and through other people.  God has walked with me through this season of rest and healing.

Out of this season I have gained and learned some things:

  • I have joy again.
  • I truly have peace now.
  • I am happy again.
  • I have learned more about myself.
  • I have learned more about who God created me to be.
  • I have learned more about how broken I truly was and how other people saw it in me.
  • I have learned that I had even deceived myself about my brokenness and emotional state.
  • I have a deeper relationship with God than I have ever had.
  • I have learned to rest and the importance of it.
  • I have learned to trust and have faith in God in a new way.
  • I have learned more about community and how it is crucial to have.
  • I have a zeal for life again.
  • I am starting to utilize my creativity again.
  • I have learned that my brokenness does not mean that my story is over.

It is important to take time to rest and take time alone for anyone but especially for those in ministry or in a profession that helps others.

“Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Luke 5:16)

“Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.” (John 6:15)

Jesus did this on a regular basis.  And if Jesus had to do this how much more important is it for us humans.  We need to have a rhythm and focus in our life that allows us to have rest and focus on our relationship with God.  We need to slow down in life and not always be rushing off to the next thing. While you may not be able to take time off of work for a couple months to rest like I have; it is still important to integrate rest in our lives in a regular basis.

 

***This is part of a series of blog posts of me sharing about my burnout and things I have been learning through this.  They are numbered in the order that they are written in and to indicate that they are part of this series.***

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6. Broken

On June 13, 2019 by marloandco With 0 Comments - loved by the Father, Uncategorized

I remember the day that I had my way up call, I remember feeling so broken.  Like there wasn’t anything that could take all my broken pieces that I felt that day and make sense of them let alone put that back together.  I felt like glass that was shattered into a million shards of glass.  I wasn’t sure what to do with my brokenness that day.  Along with feeling broken, I felt empty and tired like there was not left in me anymore to give.  Looking back I realize that being broken is where He wanted me because it meant that I was at the end of my rope.  And I could no longer do anything to fix the broken pieces within me because I did not have the energy or the desire to do so.

In the midst of this broken feeling, I knew I needed to give the feeling of brokenness to God. I had to rely on Him completely. At this point with feeling the way I did that day, it meant that I was at the point that I was willing to surrender and possibly walk away from everything I knew career wise.  Because He was and is the only one that can take my broken, empty and tired self and make me whole again. I knew that He would start by taking my shatter pieces, putting them together to make sense of my brokenness and that it would eventually create a beautiful picture again.

“He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3

While giving to this feeling of brokenness to God, did not change anything physically and emotionally about my situation that day.  But it did mean that I did not have to walk alone through this journey of becoming whole again and that He is going to heal my brokenness.

“Even when times are rough and you are in ‘deep waters’ God will be right by your side, leading and guiding you through your worst.” Isaiah 43:2

 

***This is part of a series of blog posts of me sharing about my burnout and things I have been learning through this.  They are numbered in the order that they are written in and to indicate that they are part of this series.***

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4. “I’m tired.”

On June 3, 2019 by marloandco With 0 Comments - loved by the Father, Uncategorized

“I’m tired.”

These are words that have been coming up over and over again in the last year.  And when I say them tears come to my eyes.  And when I first realized this about a year ago, I had no clue what they meant to me.  I only knew then that it was related to my job.  And I knew that it was not a physical tired but an emotional tired.  I continued to try to sort out what this tiredness meant to me and my career on my own.  I would have moments of vulnerability with friends where I would share what I was experiencing.  But reality is that I could not figure it out.  And as time keep going I become more emotionally tired and I cried much easier than before.  I did not understand the emotions that was experiencing.  I am a person likes to know why and so I do not do well when I am experiencing emotions that I don’t understand.

While this was all going on in me, I kept this persona of a strong and independent woman.  Because I did everything (lived, worked and worshipped) in my community and the role I had in my community as an advocate/social worker; I had to be those things.  Or I believed I had to be.  I was the one that people came to when most were at their lowest point.  My job was to empower them through these moments, show them hope in the hopeless situations and provide resources for them to move forward in life.

While I was doing helping others dream for themselves, inside over time I had quit dreaming.  I had allowed life to stifle my creativity.  I had allowed my own exhaustion to take over when I had down time.   If I did not have plans after work or on the weekends, I would just go home and watch TV.  I was too exhausted emotionally to do anything else.  I would try to work on things and it would take me much longer than it needed to.  I was not motivated to do things that I needed to do once I was home.

October of last year, I decided that I needed to go to counseling since I was not figuring things out on my own.  In the beginning my counselor, asked me if I think I am depressed.  And I would tell her “no because I don’t have what I consider the typical signs of depression.”  It was not until this spring that I was willing to admit that my counselor was right.  When I really looked at what happened and how I coped with things, reality is that I was going through a depression and I did not even know it.  And when I was asked about it, I was not willing to admit it.  There were several reasons as to why I wasn’t willing to admit it.

Part of it was pride – I was the one people come to when they needed help.

Part of it was stigma of society – There is a stigma that society carries about depression and everything that comes with it.

Part of it was that I had to admit that I was weak and that I do not have it all together. – For all my adult life, I had been this strong and independent woman because I had to be.  And admitting that I was depressed was admitting that I am not as strong as I thought because I could not do it on my own.

In this last couple months, I was really honest with myself and where I truly was and am at emotionally.  And I have come to realize that it is ok for me to admit this.  Because when I admit this.  I am admitting that I can not do life alone and that I need my Creator to lead me through this journey.

And that in my darkest moments, He is right there with me.  “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

He has the clarity and direction that I need.  “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

He has the provision that I need.  “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8

He has this unconditional love that I need.  “neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39

He has the peace that I need.  ” Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

He has the joy I need. “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:11

He has the strength I need. “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; shall run and not be weary; shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

He has a plan for me and my life even in my broken and empty state.  “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

***This is part of a series of blog posts of me sharing about burnout and things I have been learning through this.  They are numbered in the order that they are written in and to indicate that they are part of this series.***

 

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3. Fear and Anxiety

On May 27, 2019 by marloandco With 0 Comments - loved by the Father, Uncategorized

About two days after I gave my notice at work that I was quitting on May 23rd, the fear and anxiety set in.  That Wednesday morning at work, I was feeling anxious to the point it was the closest thing I ever felt to anxiety attack.  My muscles in my back tensed up and the tension lasted for days.

These questions kept coming up in my mind.

What did I do? I am leaving a job and a career that I love and is stable.  I am giving up my comfort and stability by quitting my job.

How am I going to pay my bills?

Am I going to be homeless?  Am I going to lose my car because I can’t pay my car payment?

And the questions and thoughts went on and on.

That morning I kept telling myself God’s truth and that He was going to provide for me because I was following His will.  It frustrated me that anxiety was winning that morning and for the few days after.  Because no matter how much I tried to apply God’s truth in my life, it didn’t seem to help.  I hated that my emotions were over shadowing the truth I knew.  But that morning and the few days to follow, I did know that even in the midst of this anxiety; I had a peace that I made the right decision about my future.

The fear and anxiety is not something I was prepared because I have peace in my decision.  And this fear and anxiety is something that came and went in my last couple weeks of work.  I am sure it will come and go again as I try to figure out the next steps that God has for me next.

Sometime after me giving my notice at work, God gave me a visual for this season of life.   The first phase of the visual is that God is holding my hand and leading me into my future.  But I can only see up to His wrist and the rest of Him and what is ahead of me is covered with a dense fog that I can’t see anything else but His hand holding mine.

A few weeks after this morning, I was at church and it was the first time that I admitted to myself and God that I am scared for this new season of life.  A season of unknowns, a season of trusting in God and a season of peace.  That night is where God lifted a little more of the dense fog in the visual He has given me for this season.  I could see up to His shoulder and a few days after I could see up to the back of His head as He is leading me.  He is leading me like a Father leads a child.  And this child is in complete trust of the Father because the child knows that the Father has the best intentions for the child.  The Father will provide safety and provisions for the child.

***This is part of a series of blog posts of me sharing about burnout and things I have been learning through this.  They are numbered in the order that they are written in and to indicate that they are part of this series.***

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2. Unshakeable Peace

On May 13, 2019 by marloandco With 0 Comments - loved by the Father, Uncategorized

As emotionally unsettling my last burn out cycle was for me, I still felt peace through it all.  The day that I had my wake up call, there was a peace that was with me.  That day as I talked to different people I felt more peace about what I thought that God was asking me to do.  Most of the people I spoke with that day offered words of encouragement and comfort.  There was a few that gave me permission to make the decision to close a chapter in my life.  The permission was a relief because the last thing I wanted to do is to leave my team at work in a lurch.  This last year has been trying and hard at work and we have been through a lot of transition.  So this would not be an ideal time for me to leave my job.  But there is really no ideal time to leave a job.  By the end of the day, I felt a different level of peace.  I knew that I would be ok no matter what decision I made.

Over the next fews days, as I thought about my future and what God was asking me to do.  I felt this unshakeable peace and I tried to shake it to make sure it is real.  But I couldn’t shake it.  Three days after my wake up call, I woke up feeling a peace that I never felt before.  It was like a heavy blanket of peace over me.  I realized that I did not want to leave this peace.  Under this blanket of peace, I felt at rest even though I did not know what was next.

Three days later, I met with my supervisor and I told her that I will be putting my notice in at work.  Walking away from this meeting I felt a freedom and peace because I knew I was in God’s will and I was at rest.  I didn’t know what was next.  But I knew that God was in it where ever I was headed next after I was done at work.

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7

There are things that they don’t tell you when you quit your job without a plan of what is next.

***This is part of a series of blog posts of me sharing about burnout and things I have been learning through this.  They are numbered in the order that they are written in and to indicate that they are part of this series.***

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Enough

On March 23, 2019 by marloandco With 0 Comments - loved by the Father, Uncategorized

Ever had God shows you a glimpse of where you are going next? And when He does this for us most of the time our response is to not step into it or even take steps towards it.  Because it is the unknown and most of the time we fear the unknown.  Fear has been my response.  And He has had to give me definite signs time and time again that there is the direction He wants me to go in the last two years.

One of the signs was in 2017, I applied for graduate school and did not get accepted in it.  Granted by the time that I got my answer I was hoping that I would not get accepted because I knew I needed to invest into an idea I had for my business.  Because I knew that if I did not see where it went that I was going to regret it.  In the the last year, I have had multiple opportunities where others invested in my business and me.  Each time it confirmed the direction that He had for me.

But through this all I still struggled with myself and the direction that God has called me to.  I struggled with myself because I love my career in social work and the community I work in.  And I love visual storytelling and photography especially with elderly.  There was this tension between the two because I felt that if I leave social work I am leaving a career that I have built and love for over 10 years.  And I was letting myself and others around me down by leaving social work.  But I knew that if I did not see where my business might go that I was going to regret that and I could not live with that. (I don’t live life with too many regrets.)  Last summer I realized that I could merge the two in my business.  I could do coaching and mentoring with other business owners especially with visual storytelling and photography.

Fear and feelings of inadequacy has been my next struggle when it comes to pursuing my business as a full time gig.  I have stability with my career in social work.  And leaving that stability scares me!  For those that don’t know, I am single.  That means that I am the only bread winner in my household.  I do not have a significant other to fall back on financially if the business would not work out.  So I need to make sure that I when make the transition from social work career to entrepreneurship that I must an revenue that can support me and my business.  When I think of the revenue that is needed for this, fear and inadequacy kicks in overdrive.  This will then paralyzes me to the point that I don’t do anything.  It is then that I realize that I am relying on my own independence (man, independence is a STRONG streak in me! Anyone else have this issue?) and that I am not relaying on Him.  I know that these are struggles that everyone goes through and can identify with.

The last 4 months has been a season that has challenged almost everything in every area of my life.  But the growth that I have had in this season has been tremendous and I am have the deepest relationship with God than I ever have had.  And it would be easy for me to not work on my business in this season because of everything that is going on.  But this season has also confirmed the direction that full time entrepreneurship is something I want and something He has for me in the future.

The other day I was journaling and God told me this “You may feel inadequate or that you are not good enough or that you do not know enough or imposter syndrome is kicking in but I knew all this and I still gave you this dream.  I still gave you a new purpose.  I am enough to conquer all fears, inadequacies and imposter syndrome.  Rely on me because I am enough.  They are all there when you started anything new in life especially in social work. But you relied on me, pushed through those things and did it scared.  Because I am enough it makes you enough to be able to do what I have called you to do next.”

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:6-7

These verses show that God’s promised are true and that He wants His best for me.  And that I should not fear when He calls me to new places because He is walking the journey with me, He goes before me and that when I am walking in His purpose for me things will work out according to His will.

When you are called to new things, is your response okay lets go God or is it a response of fear?

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Certainty in Uncertainty

On December 27, 2018 by marloandco With 0 Comments - loved by the Father, Uncategorized

Recently when I have looked at life, it seems to be filled with a bunch of uncertainty.  Even in some the most certain things in my life there is uncertainty.   While this can and sometimes does cause anxiety or worry but I have learned there these two emotions don’t get me anywhere.  Worry keeps me in this place of uncertainty.  “Worry is like a rocking chair – it gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you anywhere.”― Dorothy Galyean(This quote is attributed to several people so I am not sure where it originated from.)  While worrying gives me something for my mind to be occupied with, it does nothing other than keeping my brain busy thinking about something other than the One who can do something about the circumstance(s) I am worrying about. 

I do know there is one thing that I can trust in and be certain about is my Creator and who He is.  I know that I can trust in Him as He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Hebrews 13:8

So when life is full of uncertainty, I choose to believe in the One the who is certain because He knows the future and is sovereign over it all.  I have to make a conscious choice to choose this rather than my default reaction of worry and anxiety.  I also make the choice of joy in the uncertainty because I choose to trust in the One who is certain.  And from these choices there comes peace in my Father.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” ~ Philippians 4:6-7

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Lessons in the Storm

On December 6, 2018 by marloandco With 0 Comments - loved by the Father, Uncategorized

Recently I have been faced with one of the hardest things that I have had to go through in my adult life.  While I am still in the midst of it all, there are a few things I have learned in last couple weeks.

  • I have learned that no matter what my circumstances are God never changes, His love for me never changes and His character never changes.  Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”  And in life’s hardest moments, He remains faithful.  He is here as a quiet still and peaceful presence through the storm.

He is here with me in my sadness.

He is here with me in the joyous moments.

He is here with me in the moments that I don’t understand.

He is here with me when I pretend to be ok and ignore my feelings.

He is here with me when I don’t understand my feelings and can’t put a name to it.

 

  • I have learned that having community/relationships is so vital to get through life.  And it is in community that I have be vulnerable.   In being willing to share with others and I realize that I am are not alone.  Being vulnerable is risky but it is so worth it.  There is healing that can happen for myself and the other person(s) when I am vulnerable.

 

  • Allowing the community to love and care for me is important.  I am good at caring for others but I am not always good at letting others care for me. When I don’t allow others to do this for me, it robs them of the gift to care for me.  And as humans, we are created for relationship and community.  And a healthy community cares for each other.

 

  • I have learned to live in a tension of not knowing the truth but while still dealing with my emotions that may or may not be based out of reality.  It is not an easy tension to live in but is a necessary tension for me to live in.  But as I live in this tension I also rest in God.  I rest because I trust in Him as He can see whole puzzle and I only see my pieces and those pieces around me.

 

  • I have learned to admit that I am not ok when I am not ok.  And that life is hard sometimes.  And this is a hard for me to learn.  I have kept a protective wall around me that not many people pass through in general, especially when I am not doing ok emotionally.  I have learned in life to have this wall there because of past hurts and it is easier to not let people in when there is a chance to be hurt again.  But when I keep people at an arm’s length, I am only putting myself on an island.  In this island, I am on my own trying to survive and it is much harder than it needs to be sometimes.  And if I take myself off the island and take down the wall, I will not be alone and I will have others who will be there to walk beside me in life.

There is a song that I have been identifying with the last couple weeks.

Maybe it’s ok if I’m not ok
‘Cause the One who holds the world is holding onto me
Maybe it’s all right if I’m not all right
‘Cause the One who holds the stars is holding my whole life

“Maybe It’s Ok”by We are Messengers.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl5GcRrJLyw&w=560&h=315]

  • I have learned that grief and sadness goes in ebbs and flows. While I am ok most of the time, there are moments where it will comes what seems like out of nowhere.  And I have learned to allow myself experience the emotion that comes with it but not allow myself to stay there longer than I need to be.

 

  • I have learned to praise God in the midst of the storm.  It is in the storm that the praise is even more sweeter than when the storm ceases.  When I praise God in the midst of the storm, I am putting my eyes on Him rather than the storm.  He is more powerful than the storm that is in my life.  He provides peace in the midst of the storm.

 

While I don’t know when this will end, I do know that God with me in the midst of the storm.  He is teaching me new things in this storm.  I trust Him in the midst of the storm.

If you are going through a hard season in life, look at what you can learn through it all.  Look to the peace in the storm rather than focusing on the storm.

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The Waiting Place

On November 29, 2018 by marloandco With 0 Comments - loved by the Father, Uncategorized

God has been teaching me patience and to wait on his timing for probably the most of my life.  There are times in life that I have felt like I was in the waiting place(according to Dr. Seuss) for a long time and in many ways I am still in the waiting place.  Excerpt from Oh The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss:

“You can get so confused

that you’ll start in to race

down long wiggled roads at a 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 a No

or waiting for their hair to grow.

Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite

or waiting for wind to fly a kite

or waiting around for Friday night

or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake

or a pot to boil, or a Better Break

or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants

or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.

Everyone is just waiting.”

It is in this waiting place that we often get impatient and frustrated with God and life. And we can ruin what God make have in store for us.  Granted God can use us in all situations to even if its not in His plan but for His glory.  But where we may end up might not be as good as God intended us to be.  We humans have a way of getting in the way of God because we think that we know best for us.  But in reality the creature(us) does not see the whole picture like the Creator(God) does.  So how can we know what is best for us over the Creator that created us into existance.

Sometimes we need to stay in this waiting place for God to prepare us for something greater than we can imagine.  The waiting place is not an easy place to be but it is in that waiting place we can experience the peace and love of our Creator.  Even though we may have no idea what is going to happen next.  In uncertain times, there can be peace and joy because we have our Creator walking beside us in life.

Do I have life all figured out?  No, I will never on this earth but I do know that I am a child of God who has a God that loves me more than I can imagine and fathom.  (It still amazes me that God would love me and that He wants a personal relationship with me with millions of people on this earth.)  And I would rather be in the waiting place with my Creator than in a place on my own.  When we are in this waiting place, we need to sit back allow God to do the work and be ready to follow His calling for our lives out of the waiting place.

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