The Wait

You know…there is nothing better than doing what you were called to do….what you were made to do.  Sometimes this is a life-time calling.  Sometimes it comes in seasons.  I admire people who are led by the Spirit to shift from one calling and into another….even when they don’t know exactly what the new calling is…for sure.  But, they walk away in faith trusting God.  To some people…that sounds like craziness.  To us as human flesh…it does sound foolish!  Take 2 recent examples who were at the top of their game (based on American standards)…popular, huge, well-known, probably wealthy, and successful.  To me…they are encouraging!  2 examples of leaving “success” behind and headed out in trust and faith for the “unknown”.

I do want to lay down my life….in my flesh I don’t.  I want to cling to what I know…but God is calling us out and we can’t deny that….Pray for us…as we take a step of faith….but the Holy Spirit has said differently.

Then, today….the David Crowder*Band announced that this would be their last album and last tour.  You can read their announcement here.  In this announcement, they tell what led them to this decision.  They aren’t breaking up.  There isn’t a feud.  It’s just time. In following the leading the Holy Spirit, it’s time for them to do something else.  A new thing.  Their letter states…

None of us is sure what’s next, but we’re not afraid. We’re, in fact, really, really excited!

But, there is nothing better than being right where you are supposed to be…and how desperately we want to be there…NOW.  I think of our friends and heroes, April and Scott Salvant (link:  Salvant Seven). The Salvant family wants nothing more than to be in Haiti working in the orphanage – New Hope Haiti Mission.  Although they have already acquired a new home in Haiti, they are waiting desperately for their house here in the Richmond area to sell, so they can be on their way. (If interested in a beautiful home, check out this link.)   The wait has been painful for them at times, as they desperately long to be “home” in Haiti.

Why is it that we have such difficulty in the “wait”?  Waiting is doing something, right?  I am often reminded of the Exodus scriptures when the Israelites followed the fire by night and the cloud by day.  The fire and clouds weren’t always moving.  Sometimes they were still.  The scriptures also refer to them camping out.  Sometimes, that is what we do….we camp out and wait for the cloud or fire to move.  I need to learn to find joy in the waiting.  But, what is it that we should be doing while we wait?  We could sit…and look up at the cloud/fire….and say “It hasn’t moved yet.” or we can spend time in preparation.  What does it look like to prepare?  For Chan and his family, it was traveling and exploring.  It was spending time in prayer and the Bible.

Louis and I also I feel like we have been called to do something new.  I know some people think it’s foolish for me to leave the bank, but it is what we have been called to do.  We have been in a waiting period for quite some time.  Waiting for the burning bush…the writing on the wall…the cloud/fire to move.  It can be so frustrating!!!  I have to remind myself that in the waiting God has been preparing for what is next.  We also have taken practical steps..

• by strengthening our marriage and our lives together.
• by praying together and individually and seeking prayers from our prayer warriors.
• by investing time and resources in reading and learning more about what we feel God has called us to do.  This includes reading the Bible, although I confess I have often let reading books replace reading the Bible.  I need to fix that!!!
• by learning to say “no” to things that aren’t God’s best.  Good is the enemy of the best.  I still struggle with this one!!!
• by getting our finances in order.  God has blessed us in so many ways!!!  We continue to look for ways to trim our spending.
• by learning to relax and recreate.  We need to schedule more downtime in our lives for rejuvenation.  Our lives are so full of ministry, that we don’t get a lot of time to kick back.
• We also need to learn to live a “simpler” life.  Not exactly sure how to do that!  Luke 10 tells the disciples to travel lightly and simply.  He also basically says don’t get distracted. These are 2 areas we still are working on…making things more complex than they need to be and allowing distractions get in the way.  We need to wage war against those 2!

Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”   Jesus in Matthew 25:23.