~ten points to whoever can guess whose eye this is~ On Friday May 16th, our pastor taught a bible study about waiting. It was a long time coming...
A few notes:
1. "It [waiting] may be the hardest thing we are called to do."
How revolutionary in understanding! So many of us are caught up in our calling, our destiny in life. We pray, fast, and go to classes that help us find our shape. We experiment in ministry and service, both inside and outside the church to help groom our strengths and minimize our weaknesses. And so we should. But to say that we are called to wait is something none of us are comfortable hearing. In fact, it sounds almost contradictory in a way. "I'm calling upon you to sit there and wait," the soccer coach tells his youngest player as he sits on the bench watching the game. Game after game, week after week, this young man sits and waits and watches the other team members out there on the field playing the game he so loves. But his coach says...wait. He longs for the day when all the skills, training, and passion he has can be unleashed upon that pigskin! In his waiting he grows frustrated, torn between thoughts of bitterness at his coach, jealousy at his team members, and short-changed in life at all the years wasted. But one day, his coach says, "Now go and play." During the game he realizes that he's moving, passing, shooting, and reacting in ways he never dreamt of before. Why? Because while he was waiting he watched and studied every move of his team mates and the other teams so much that he had internalized it. Soon, he was the best player on the team.
His coach knew what he was doing, the player (at first) didn't. So many times I myself am that player...waiting on the bench as it were. And while I'm not an impatient person, I do wonder at times what good am I doing just sitting on the bench? Is my coach mad at me? Have I done something wrong? Am I really called to be a soccer player? Why are my team mates "soaring" while I'm not even walking?! (or so it seems) Which brings me to another point of the lesson:
2. "It is a hard thing to be a walker when you are surrounded by eagles. But sometimes walking is the best we can offer God. WALKING COUNTS TOO. Keep walking, because what we wait for is not more important than what happens to us while we are waiting. Now it is just a matter of time.”
Considering the plethora of experiences I’ve had in my life, it never ceases to amaze me that I feel like I know so very little about life itself. I suppose if I flew like the eagle from day one in the Lord I might quickly pass by the “stuffs” of life without much reflection or consideration or experimentation. I might crash, or bypass some elementary truth that produces great foundational strength, or I might aquire an attitude that says, “hmpf, you are beneath me [because I am soaring]…why should I come down to help you?” Yet I feel that because I have walked most of my way in the Lord I’ve had time to learn, to observe, to meditate, to be still…silent……to wait.
However, it is this arrival of maturity in understanding the blessed assurance of “waiting on the Lord” coupled with the contradictory behavior to this truth that sometimes manifests itself in my life that is of extreme frustration! One knows to do right, one knows the lesson, the moral of the story, the wise thing to do…and yet one continues to do or act the opposite! “Well, God is faithful…I know this situation is working for my good and is a blessing,” the woman said. Yet in the next breath she is complaining or has a downcast countenance about her current position in life. Her confession and her actions our out of sync. She is waiting for things to get better, but she is not waiting well…
It’s like this: a duck is a duck is a duck. The duck knows it’s a duck. Everyone knows it’s a duck, but the duck says, “Cluck, cluck” [for those of you who are scratching your head…chickens say “cluck”, ducks say quack. Yes, kindergarten WAS helpful.] In other words, when the duck acts like a chicken, it isn’t acting according to what it was born to be. Hence frustration…both for the duck and for those around the duck.
I come to this conclusion based on sporadic life events that have shown this conclusion to be true….for me at least. When I would act, say, or react in a manner that was a weak manifestation of my character or personality – living in fear basically – then the people or situation around me would look at me with otherworldly eyes as if to say, “Dude…why are you acting like that? Get a grip! Be strong! The reason I’m reacting to you like someone who has no respect for you, like a child, like crazy, is because YOU are not living up to your full potential in this moment.” To put it another way with an example:
A son rebels against his father. The father can’t understand why. The son WANTS boundaries, WANTS rules, WANTS warnings, etc. The son fears the power of his own self-will and free choices…he knows that if left to himself the road to destruction will be swift and unmerciful. But alas! because the father is not fulfilling his role as father – because he is acting different, contrary, or weaker than his calling as that father figure – the son rebels. In truth, the son’s rebellion is a cry for help, but because the father cannot seem to pull things together, rebellion continues. Irritation and frustration on both sides.
Wow…I think I hit on like 3 or 4 things in that last one. *sigh*…so much to say, so little time…so little outlets… anyhoo :-)
Ok, at this point I’ve lost all 5 or 6 of the points I originally intended to write. Suffice it to say this: (the moral of the story kids)
The Lord Jesus loves us so much that He will keep us in the crucible of whatever situation will bring about His character in us. We must learn to wait with patient trust, confident humility, and unquenchable hope in our savior. Ahhh…but what is it we are to wait for? For different people it may be different things. But one thing is for sure, one thing we must all attain, one thing we must all strive for. We must wait until the reflection of our Lord’s image is formed within our lives. The ultimate destination of the Christian is Christ-likeness. It is Christ’s goal to renew our minds and lives until we are found to be as He originally intended:
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (gen 1:27)
That’s what he wants folks. And it will take the waiting, the tears, the sweat, the adventure of faith, the labor of love, and the endurance of pursuing truth to get there.
I for one have traveled on this journey in pursuit of my God for a very long time. This I say to you: Do not walk behind me, I may lead you the wrong way. Do not walk in front of me, I may not follow. Walk beside me, and let us together follow the Way, the Truth, and the Life and wait with great expectant patience for Him to guide us along our life. See you at the finish line...
Ganbatte everyone….ganbatte in Jesus’ name.
No comments:
Post a Comment