Waiting Well

Do you ever find yourself just waiting for the next phase of your life to come along?  As though you are begrudging the pages of your calendar for not flipping fast enough?   This has characterized my life in many instances.  In middle school I couldn't wait for high school.  In high school I couldn't wait for college.  In college I couldn't wait to get married.  This waiting game continues today as I look forward to the time when we move overseas and into full-time missions.

The other day I started thinking about the importance of waiting.  We might not always understand why God calls us to wait for certain things, but He certainly has a plan for us during those times.  Waiting doesn't mean a lack of activity...quite the opposite I think.  I'm starting to see that when God calls us to wait, he's actually calling us to prepare.  We might feel called to something but we might not be spiritually, emotionally, or even physically ready for whatever the task at hand is.  When God gives us time to wait, he continues to shape us and mold us into his image and get us ready for what he's called us to do.

The next few years will be anything but boring for us.  We have a lot to do to prepare for missions work in another country, and I'm excited to see the changes that take place in our hearts and minds during this time.  We're hoping to go on several missions trips to southeast Asia to learn and experience more of what it's like to minister in the specific community we're called to and share the love of Christ with people who have never heard his name.

There are going to be many things in my life that God calls me to wait for, and I want to wait well.  I don't want to waste those times in inactivity, but to seek God's guidance in how he would have me prepare for the next steps in my life.