Month: October 2017

On Demand…part 2

Waiting-Staying in expectation. Waiting on, attending; accompanying; serving. Waiting for, staying for the arrival of. Waiting at, staying or attending at in expectation or in service. In waiting, in attendance.

Did you read the definition of waiting? That’s not how I would have defined waiting. My definition reads more like waiting on paint to dry, waiting for something to never happen. There is not much expectation in waiting for paint dry or waiting on nothing to happen is there? I usually paint one coat, leave, come back a few hours later to put the 2nd coat on. I don’t stay in expectation or wait in attendance. I paint it and I leave it to dry. However, waiting for a promise to be fulfilled is a lot different than waiting on paint to dry. I know the paint will dry. I don’t know when or how the promise will be fulfilled or even if it will be fulfilled here on earth. 
The waiting period is an active process in which we should be hopeful. We should wait by staying in expectation for the Lord to deliver on His promises to us. The phrase staying in expectation sounds to me like it’s filled with hope & maybe even a hint of excitement. I can assure you that I haven’t waited for my husband by staying in expectation. It’s looked a lot more like waiting on paint to dry. I pray for a husband. I leave it. I come back to pray again from time to time. I get frustrated with the process and stop praying about it. I stop expecting and hoping for the Lord to fulfill His promises to me. I try to stay positive. I try to focus more on what I have than what I’m missing out on. I throw myself in work, helping others, & settle down into the life I’ve been given. I do honestly believe being content is a good thing to do too. I am very grateful for the life I’ve been given. But, I do want to be married again. However, I have more hope in the paint drying than my future husband arriving anytime soon. 
Why is that? Well, I’ve been married before. It was a long time ago. I was 19. I did not have a clue about marriage and definitely not a God centered one. Some days I think the reason I don’t have a husband is because I totally sucked at being a wife the first time around. God must know I’ll be a horrible wife, so that is why He isn’t answering my prayer for a husband. Sounds a little absurd when I type it out. But, that is one of the big fat lies Satan tells me over and over again.

I don’t know what promises you are waiting on the Lord to fulfill, but I do know God doesn’t hold our past against us. Those thoughts that cause you to doubt yourself, God, & His promises are from Satan. Scripture says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians‬ ‭5:17‬) Therefore, I am a new person in Jesus Christ. My past is no more. He wiped my slate clean when I placed my faith in Him. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, He has done the same thing for you. You are not the old person from your past. You have been made new. Our past has been redeemed by the grace of God. He can use the things from our past for our good and His glory. The past was a learning experience for the future. It was training ground for the next chapter. Those failures do not define you or me. We can learn valuable lessons of wisdom from these past mistakes. Failure is the hands on experience gained so we do not repeat our past mistakes. The enemy wants you to believe your past failures define you in order to defeat you. But scripture says, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” (Genesis‬ ‭50:20‬) Don’t believe the lies the enemy tells you anymore! Rebuke those lies in Jesus name! Replace the lies with the truth of God. I know it’s hard to stay on top of all the lies bouncing around your head, but it’s the only way to truly overcome the lies and believe the truth. 

I realize I need to do a better job at this myself. Let’s help each other by praying for one another & encouraging each other. If you are struggling with anything or just need prayer, Shoot me an email, text, or fb message. I will pray for you & encourage you as long as you need me to. Friend, our God is faithful and He loves us. God knows what is best for us. So whatever it is we are waiting on God to provide for us, let us wait by staying in expectation. Let’s expect the best from our Heavenly Father who only gives His best. 

CAT

On Demand

We live in a world that doesn’t have to wait for anything. We can DVR tv shows or watch an episode on Netflix. We have apps that allow us to order fast food from our smart phones so that we can avoid waiting in long lines. These resources have caused us to be so impatient. We won’t wait for anything because we don’t have to. Don’t get me wrong, I have used all these helpful resources. I’m all for technology that helps us utilize our time. But are these things actually doing more harm than good? 
Currently, I feel like I am waiting in a line that never moves. I’m waiting on my husband. I don’t even like typing those words. I am exposing my most vulnerable places to the world right now. So, be gentle. Don’t judge me. I feel like I’ve been waiting here for a lifetime. Sometimes, I get out of the line. I say to myself, just forget it. Chris, you don’t want a husband anymore. I tell myself, I’ve waited entirely too long and he isn’t worth the wait. You won’t even like him after the honeymoon phase is over. I have days where I believe those lies to be the solid truth. But I also have days where the Lord gently whispers the truth to me. Scripture says in Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” This scripture has been a reoccurring verse the Lord has used to speak to me about my future husband. People have randomly prayed it over me over the last 3 years without even knowing what this verse means to me. Today the Lord reminded me of His promise during worship at church. This verse was spoken and I was immediately brought to tears. I cried because my heart hurts. I cried because it was exactly what I needed to hear today. The Lord knew I needed a word of encouragement. He knows I am tired of waiting. He knows I want to give up. My emotions are all over the place lately. I feel like I’m riding the bipolar express. I wish I could just turn off my desire for a husband. Believe me, I’ve tried. I’ve even lied to myself a time or two. But It didn’t work. The desire always comes back. Each time with a deeper longing for a spouse than before. I’ve had to get honest with myself & the Lord about this desire. A desire that He put inside of me. My prayers have gone from nice little compliant prayers to real, raw emotional pleas for God to provide the man He has for me. I wish I had an app or something I could use to speed up this process. I truly hate waiting on anything especially things I really want. But I believe the Lord has told me He has a husband for me. I believe He will provide me with a husband in His timing. Therefore, I will wait. 
What are you waiting on from the Lord? Trust Him with your desires. He is faithful. I know the waiting process is hard, but the Lord is faithful to bring about His promises to His children. 
CAT