TOES TAPPING & THUMBS THUMPING: WAITING


I think I am a reasonable person. Okay, I admit to being emotional and occasionally impatient--but I'm a female and that comes with the territory. Sometimes I think I am entitled to verbalize more than what is prudent, even though it may dramatically convey my perspective. "C'mon, c'mon, let's go, let's go. What does it take people--let's go," I exclaimed impatiently in my best Chicago accent. My toes were tapping the floorboards and my thumbs were thumping the steering wheel. "What is the DEAL?" Toe tap, thumb thump, deep sigh, and an 'I give up' slump into the car seat. So much energy expended and way too many thoughts to acquire a hamburger from a local fast food restaurant. But, toe tap and thumb thumping I have done.

However, I am not alone in my erroneous behavior--American culture endorses it. There are dozens of cars with impatient toe tapping and thumb thumping occupants in front of me or in back of me--just about all the time. To think that I could drive up to a building and order a complete meal with a hot entree, a choice of salads, warm breads, hot veggies, fruit shakes, hot/warm/cold desserts, a selection of beverages; at just about any time of the day---AND THEY DON'T HAVE IT READY BY THE TIME I DRIVE TO THE PICK-UP WINDOW? WHAT'S WITH THAT?! Yes, that's our culture! (And I am not alone in my 'get it yesterday' attitude.) There are words that describe this non-Biblical thinking like 'anxiety', 'taking thought', 'worry', 'impatient', 'not waiting upon God', 'not being thankful', 'anxious', 'distressed', 'walking by the flesh', and of course could we forget the trendy new term 'road rage' ?

NEWS FLASH:

God's toes are not tapping and His thumbs are not thumping!

(Metaphorically speaking--of course.)

As born again ones we are implored to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. As Christians that are to follow in the steps of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ--we need to break the cultural mold of anxiety and come back to God. Confidence and trust in God and in His ability to do, is to relinquish the ways of the flesh and to submit to His ways. His ways are higher than your ways. His ways cannot be analyzed with the five senses. His answers come in His timing. God's method of deliverance is His prerogative. HE IS SMARTER THAN YOU. HE IS WISER. HE IS BIGGER. HE IS ALMIGHTY GOD, EL SHADDAI, AND HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING! For a successful Christian walk, it is necessary to trust fully in Him and to stop trying to figure it all out by yourself--for yourself. The spiritual walk demands discipline, mental vigilance, thought management, and work. Many are not willing to invest the effort, and hence reap the results of a non-believing Christian walk.

For those that are seeking to adopt a child, "waiting" is just short of torture. For most it is a form of torture. Some Christians set up time frames, deadline dates, and lifestyle change markers. Then they gently inform God about His/their deliverance deadline. I have heard it said many times, "Well, if God doesn't answer our prayer for a child by this date or this holiday or this birthday, anniversary or life changing event--He must not want us to have a child." Gee, I see some contradiction of terms in that statement. To use one's five senses to determine how and when prayer answers will arrive, and then to sign God's name to it---IS A CONTRADICTION! Most of the time, we don't know what we want, when we want it, and if we want something. Submitting to God and then telling Him when, where, and how should not be in the same sentence, prayer, thought or conversation. How quickly we blame God for not receiving our deliverance when we brought a lack of deliverance upon ourselves.

What are you supposed to do with your mind and emotions, when you are heartsick with waiting?

PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, AND THEN PRAY SOME MORE. PUSH YOUR MIND TO BE THANKFUL. STUDY HIS WORD AND FIND COMFORT IN HIS WORDS. FIND COMFORT IN PSALMS. FIND WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING IN PROVERBS. PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, AND THEN PRAY FOR THE ABILITY TO PRAY AND TO ENDURE. GOD HEARS YOUR PRAYERS. HE KNOWS ABOUT YOUR MANY TEARS, AND HE HEARS YOU BEGGING TO BECOME A PARENT.

When will your answer come? I don't know. When will you hold your child in your arms? I don't know. How much longer will you have to wait? I don't know. How many times will you need to pray? Until you have an answer. How many more holidays will come and go and you are still waiting? I don't know. How many more hours will you need to seek His strength? For the rest of your life. How much longer will you be required to wait? Until you have your child. How long will you have to continue to endure? Until you have the victory.

God is a God of mercy, comfort, kindness, love, compassion, longsuffering, grace, and peace. Whatever you need on the pathway to deliverance, HE can and will gladly supply. No matter how discouraged or disappointed you may feel, His grace and strength is sufficient for you--each day, each hour, each moment. It's a good fight--the spiritual walk. It's a challenging walk. It's a challenging life. It's a good life with God.

Maybe we could try to follow our great God's example.

God's toes are not tapping and His thumbs are not thumping--not now, not ever.


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