Waiting for the path of a hurricane to be verified. Then, waiting for its personal impact to be experienced even while you wait and pray for thousands upon thousands of others. Waiting for a health diagnosis. Waiting for your teen or adult child to make those choices you have prayed for. Waiting for issues at work to be resolved. Waiting for the burden of loss and grief to be lightened. Waiting for change to morph into a familiar normalcy. Waiting for God to unfold your tomorrows................. As I write, I am waiting for a hurricane that is hugging the East Coast, waiting, and yes, still praying, for quietness and normalcy to be restored, and wondering how much upheaval there will be before then. And yet, we wait in a myriad of times and places. And it’s hard. And sometimes, circumstances and needs collide, thinning our collapsing emotions still more, depleting whatever resources we thought we had.
I was reminded of Fanny Crosby’s prolific contribution of hymns that helped to shape the worship of our churches for almost two centuries. A woman who knew the reality of the lyrics she created. A woman whose lyrics quieted my own thoughts throughout decades of being part of a congregation of worshipers, and before that, being the child of the mom who sang Fanny’s songs to us at bedtime. And with my reminder came the reminder too – Fanny Crosby was blind!! I can’t imagine living my days in total physical darkness!! And yet she lived her life fully and productively into her nineties. One day at a time. Choosing and trusting the God she loved, over and over and over. All the way my Savior leads me, what have I to ask beside? ... For I know, whate'er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well. ... All the way my Savior leads me, cheers each winding path I tread, gives me grace for every trial, feeds me with the living Bread. Though my weary steps may falter and my soul athirst may be, gushing from the Rock before me, lo! a spring of joy I see.
Phil Wickham’s song, Living Hope, speaks passionately of our hope of salvation, a hope secured by Jesus’ resurrection, a resurrection that broke the chains of death and the grave. The song though in anticipating the proclamation of Jesus’ resurrection resounds with words the believer also needs in every struggle, every darkness, every season of waiting, every depletion of emotions and resources .......... How high the mountain I could not climb. In desperation, I turned to Heaven and spoke Your name into the night. Then through the darkness, Your loving-kindness, tore through the shadows of my soul.
God always brings me back to the basics of my faith. Keep choosing Him. Openly and with all my questions and emotions. Keep choosing Him, and leave today and all my tomorrows with Him. Over and over and over. Keep choosing Him. And sink into His embracing arms of love and security, enablement and peace. Know the comfort of His promises. Know He makes no mistakes, and He will provide for the need. Keep choosing Him, even while you wait.
– Bev
(Related Bible reading: Psalm 91:1-4, 14-16)
