My husband says it feels like we’re waiting.

But I’m starting to wonder if it’s that God is waiting on us.

We’ve been watching Him line things up and put things into position.

He’s given us fresh vision and pointed us on a clear path.

In life and in ministry.

We have been waiting for this for (it feels like) forever.

We’ve gotten used to the waiting, and comfortable in the waiting.

But it feels like things are flip-flopped around, like crazy change is happening, and now Someone is waiting on us.

Time and again – for the past THREE years – he’s been playing this verse on repeat in our lives:

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

Yep, it’s a good one, eh?

It also happens to be my husband’s life verse.

When God keeps throwing your life verse at you, in amazing ways, at just the right times, over and over and over again, you know something’s coming, right?

We’ve had this sense of Him at work for a while.

Like on the hard days, when nothing made sense, and we couldn’t see past the next few minutes, He was simply asking us to… wait.

It was really hard to learn to wait.

This verse helped:

“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:31

Some days we just walked, sauntered even, through the confusion and the fog. Some days we didn’t run at all, and we felt very weary and faint.

We learned to grab hold of the good, to live in the moments that filled our days with such blessings – if only we let them, if only we recognized them, if only we learned to see things through His eyes.

And I don’t want to leave out my life verse either. Because for a time He was throwing this one at us from every direction as well:

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” – Matthew 7:7

My favourite hymn is Seek Ye First.

It’s the only one I can play on the piano by memory – a version I created myself so that I can play it anywhere, anytime.

One song, just one song that has echoed in my soul for as long as I can remember.

Other songs have come and gone, but this one has always remained.

And we did learn to ask, to seek, and to knock.

Even when we didn’t get the answer we hoped for in the asking, or when things weren’t much clearer after the seeking, or when doors seemed to remain closed after the knocking.

It’s all about timing – His timing.

And we continued to wait.

Somewhere in the waiting, in the watching for mountains to move and seas to part, we learned that the greatest mountains need to be moved in us, and the biggest seas need to be parted in our hearts.

God is waiting on us.

He is asking us, seeking after us, knocking on the door of our hearts…

Josh and I got married under a stained glass window – can you see it in the background?

 

It’s Jesus knocking on a door with no handle…

I didn’t get it until someone explained it to me…

How Jesus will never force His way into anyone’s life, into anyone’s heart…

He simply knocks, and it’s up to them how they answer…

The door can only be opened from the other side…

He simply stands and waits for the answer.

And that’s how it feels to me just now – like God is waiting on us.

We have done our asking, our seeking, and our knocking – now it’s time to be strong and courageous, knowing that we don’t have to be afraid or discouraged when things look a little crazy, because He is with us always.

After all the waiting, now I’m looking forward to running this next lap of the race with you, Joshua.