In the meantime.
Have you ever wondered about that phrase? Separately: in the mean time.
That's my mental picture during times of waiting. They are mean times; often periods filled with impatience, anxiety, and foreboding. Waiting is not anywhere near my list of things I enjoy. Probably because I like control... and a plan. So when I'm stuck "in the meantime", waiting for an answer, or an event, or an outcome, it can become a feeling akin to being set adrift in the open sea with only a small flotation ring.
That's not the way it should be. I know that. I know that. There are a thousand overused cliches dedicated to the purpose of keeping one from sinking in the sea of worry and inactivity while waiting for one thing or another: Stop and smell the roses. Don't wish your life away. Enjoy the moment. Its the little things in life that count. Carpe diem.
So why do I fall back into an attitude of impatient restlessness every time? Lack of faith or trust? Maybe. Probably.
Worship is easy for me—I have so much to be thankful for and am constantly in awe that the creator of the universe longed for my love, and relishes my relationship. And, in the end of all things, I know without a shadow of doubt that Romans 8:28 is true. God will work all things to the good of those who love him, who are the called according to his purpose. But I would be insincerely trite if I didn't acknowledge that in the meantime, the mean times, I often loose sight of that truth.
It's like a previous blog regarding God lighting our path. I want to know the endgame. I want an insider's peek at the grand scheme, the long range goal, the whole plan. Then my sea of uncertainty would be nothing but dried up land, and I could walk forward with calm assurance, in control.
Ahh, but that's the point, isn't it? As much as I want to be in control of my thoughts, my circumstances, my life, my goals, God wants the opposite. It's a battle I hope to lose one day, and in losing I know I will actually have the victory. Who better to give the reins to than the One who is expert in all things?
So today is another attempt to remind myself that the meantime does not have to be mean. It should not be filled with anxiety or impatience. It should be filled with focus, with purpose—doing good and righteous deeds, and giving glory to the one who deserves so much more than our praise.
I hope this will be a reminder that sticks with me for a long while....because chastisement is also not on my list of things I enjoy...but that's another blog topic entirely!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
A Hauntingly Hopeful Tale
How can a book be both haunting and hopeful? Susan Meissner manages it with a beautifully gentle pen in "Lady in Waiting".
I generally don't choose books whose plots focus on a couple with marital difficulties. I must confess, if the lure of sixteenth-century England had not caught my attention, I might not have chosen this one. And even as I struggled to identify with our modern day Jane, whose husband has decided he needs space, I eagerly consumed the pages dedicated to another Jane, one who lived in the 1500's.
A ring binds these two stories together. Found hidden within an ancient prayer book by Jane Lindsey, owner of an antique store in Upper West Side, Manhattan, the inscription on the inside of the band compels her to search out the original owner. As the story turns back in time to Lady Jane Grey, an elusive familiarity with that name whispered of a tragic end.
Meissner has a gift for creating beautiful pictures with her words, even when those pictures are filled with sorrow, longing, or uncertainty. Yet, with the inevitable events of history moving more swiftly than I wished for Lady Jane, Meissner leaves us with hope for Jane Lindsey. And in doing so, gifts us with hope for ourselves.
I would recommend this book without reservation to any woman who enjoys a touching tale. My thanks to WaterBrook Press for allowing me to read and review it.
I generally don't choose books whose plots focus on a couple with marital difficulties. I must confess, if the lure of sixteenth-century England had not caught my attention, I might not have chosen this one. And even as I struggled to identify with our modern day Jane, whose husband has decided he needs space, I eagerly consumed the pages dedicated to another Jane, one who lived in the 1500's.
A ring binds these two stories together. Found hidden within an ancient prayer book by Jane Lindsey, owner of an antique store in Upper West Side, Manhattan, the inscription on the inside of the band compels her to search out the original owner. As the story turns back in time to Lady Jane Grey, an elusive familiarity with that name whispered of a tragic end.
Meissner has a gift for creating beautiful pictures with her words, even when those pictures are filled with sorrow, longing, or uncertainty. Yet, with the inevitable events of history moving more swiftly than I wished for Lady Jane, Meissner leaves us with hope for Jane Lindsey. And in doing so, gifts us with hope for ourselves.
I would recommend this book without reservation to any woman who enjoys a touching tale. My thanks to WaterBrook Press for allowing me to read and review it.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Trusting the Light
A couple of Sundays ago I heard a profound explanations of a particular Bible verse. What made it even more incredible for me was that I never thought it needed one before.
We had a guest preacher at church; our previous youth minister and associate pastor, who moved to Maine several years ago as a church planter and evangelist. In the midst of sharing how the Lord called his family to missions in Maine, he said, "We thought the Lord was calling us to work in Maine for two years. But you know sometimes he chooses to only show us light at our feet."
He went on to quote the verse from Psalm 119:105: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." (NIV) I had memorized that verse as a teenager, still love the way Keith Green turned it into a praise and worship chorus. I treasured it for the promise that the Lord would always show us the way we should go. Never did I question the difference between a lamp and a light. But I had never heard it explained the way Chris Johnson went on to share.
He said sometimes the Lord shows us just enough of his will (the path he has for us), that it is illuminated like a lamp at our feet. We know where we are, that we are on the path, but we cannot see far. Why does the Lord allow us only this brief glimpse? Perhaps if we saw the whole path it would be too awesome to comprehend...or too daunting to venture forward. Perhaps to increase our trust in him. Perhaps to keep our focus on the task at hand.
However, other times he is a light for our path. He allows us a deeper vision. We see the road ahead, with all its bumps, twists and turns. But even so, we have his illumination is also a promise of his constant presence and guide. And whatever God shines his face toward must be glorious indeed.
This year may we seek out His word, trust Him when he is the lamp to our feet, and follow Him when he is the light for our path.
We had a guest preacher at church; our previous youth minister and associate pastor, who moved to Maine several years ago as a church planter and evangelist. In the midst of sharing how the Lord called his family to missions in Maine, he said, "We thought the Lord was calling us to work in Maine for two years. But you know sometimes he chooses to only show us light at our feet."
He went on to quote the verse from Psalm 119:105: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." (NIV) I had memorized that verse as a teenager, still love the way Keith Green turned it into a praise and worship chorus. I treasured it for the promise that the Lord would always show us the way we should go. Never did I question the difference between a lamp and a light. But I had never heard it explained the way Chris Johnson went on to share.
He said sometimes the Lord shows us just enough of his will (the path he has for us), that it is illuminated like a lamp at our feet. We know where we are, that we are on the path, but we cannot see far. Why does the Lord allow us only this brief glimpse? Perhaps if we saw the whole path it would be too awesome to comprehend...or too daunting to venture forward. Perhaps to increase our trust in him. Perhaps to keep our focus on the task at hand.
However, other times he is a light for our path. He allows us a deeper vision. We see the road ahead, with all its bumps, twists and turns. But even so, we have his illumination is also a promise of his constant presence and guide. And whatever God shines his face toward must be glorious indeed.
This year may we seek out His word, trust Him when he is the lamp to our feet, and follow Him when he is the light for our path.
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