How Long Do You Wait?

¹⁴ Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 27:14

A study recently challenged me to consider what my life would look like if I put Psalm 27:14 into practice. I say with confidence–if I could implement this verse in every aspect of my existence, life would have few problems and most would be external. My confidence stems from experience. I know the mess I’ve landed myself into when attempting to make decisions on my own.

I can’t know the number of blessings I missed because I ran ahead of God trying to carry out His agenda. He gave me a heads-up about what was coming, and I made it happen outside His timing. Of course, I didn’t realize it until later–after it was too late. Putting my solution in place left no room for Yahweh’s perfect plan.

Hence, I’ve learned to wait for God. My current vehicle was one of His gifts. I looked at several models I liked, but none seemed right. So I waited. I trusted He would keep my twenty-four-year-old Blazer running until the car He planned for me became available. Even though the door seals let the rain come in and the passenger door didn’t close properly, I waited. Four weeks passed before I saw a Buick that I thought might be the one. With only 40,000 miles and the lowest price we’d seen, I signed papers for my Enclave. Little did I know it came with more bells and whistles than any car I’d ever driven.

I don’t get it right all the time. I still run ahead at times. Fortunately, it happens less often now. When I interview for writing positions or start a new book, I try to wait on Him. On occasion, when I’ve waited too long, He finds a way to push me. For instance, I had the idea for Adira: Journey to Freedom at least a year before I wrote the first word. I knew I’d get to it someday. But then Kary Oberbrunner issued a COVID challenge–forty days to write a book. Since the world had shut down, it seemed like the perfect timing–God’s timing. He let that book flow out of me.

When I shop for clothing, I take Jesus. When I sit to write, I let God lead. As I said, I do not always hear properly, and I still run ahead from time to time. But when I wait on the Lord, perfection happens, blessings pour out, and I get to live life at its best.