GOD'S WAITING ROOM

With the help in advancements of modern technology, our society has become one

that is fast-paced, always on the move, and always on the go.

For example, it no longer takes all day to prepare a home-cooked meal for our

families. With the invention of the microwave oven and the slow cooker, meals are

now prepared with the convenience of minutes and sometimes even just in a few

hours. Isn't that wonderful!

When we find ourselves having to wait a few minutes at the check-out line at our

favorite grocery store, at the drive-thru at our favorite fast-food restaurant, or even

at the traffic light, we find it so hard to patiently wait.

We would like to get to where we are supposed to go in as little time and with as

little inconvenience as possible, minus the wait, of course.

Sadly, it is this same attitude that has caused us to stray from God in our re-

lationship with Him. When we find ourselves having to wait in God's waiting room

due to the sotms and circumstances of life, we grow faint, weary, and most im-

portantly, impatient.

We would like for God to calm the raging storms that He sends to our lives and

solve all of our problems with just a simple wave of His hand. We think that by God

quickly solving everything for us, there will be no need for us having to wait in His

waiting room. And this is where we are wrong.

We fail to realize that there are reasons why God allows storms to come our way.

God would like for us to learn some valuable lessons in patience while we are in

His waiting room. He would like for us to grow closer in our relationship with Him in

our daily walk. He would also like for us to place all our worries, fears, and cares in

Him and place them at His feet. By doing this, He knows that we trust Him enough

to depend on Him for all our needs and desires.

God wants us to learn while we are in His waiting room that we cannot rush Him into

doing His will. If we take matters into our own hands we will only make a mess and

interfere with what God has planned for us. Sometimes the best thing we can do is

to stay out of God's business and allow Him to handle things! Remember we need

God's help; He does not need ours.

It was on October 22, 2005 that my husband and I found ourselves having to wait

patiently on God while we were in His waiting room. On this date, our car had

broken down and we could not afford to have it repaired. Finding ourselves without

transportation suddenly placed us in strained situation. We were not able to attend

Sunday worship services or Bible study on a regular basis. My husband did not have

a sure way of getting to and from work. Frankly, I was worried that he would

eventually end up losing his job.

The remainder of October and the beginning half of November tested our faith to the

max! There were periods when I became so weary that I felt that God no longer heard

my tearful pleas. I found myself growing impatient with God to the point I was about

to take things into my own hands and help Him out.

Two things entered my life that stopped me from making a mess out of things. First,

it was the encouragement and help of two good friends of mine that helped to open

my eyes to what I was doing wrong and what I needed to do to correct that wrong.

They both told me not to think about not having a car. By doing this I could eliminate

my feelings of worry, anger, disgust, and frustration.

They also gave me the most important advice: pray and place my family's situation

in God's hands. He would work things out if it was His will. Thank God for blessing

me with friends that were there to understand and give me good, sound advice.

The second thing that helped me while I was in God's waiting room was reading

Isaiah 40:29-31. "He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He

increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men

shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall

mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk

and not faint."

As I read these verses and prayed to God and I made my requests known, I noticed

that my burdens were no longer weighing me down. I also noticed that everything

concerning our situation of not having transportation took on a more positive change.

Around the second week in November, my husband's friend and co-worker was kind

enough to give my husband a ride to and from work. My in-laws offered us rides to

and from worship services and my good friend was kind enough to come and pick me

up for Tuesday and Thursday night Bible studies. Once I allowed God to take con-

trol of our situation, everything just started to fall into place for us. Finally, in

January, God blessed us with our very own car!

God has His reasons for the storms He allows in our lives. He also has reasons for

sending us to His waiting room. He wants us to learn four things: patience, faith,

trust, and peace of mind.