Puzzling?

(These blogs are not proofed… Just raw and real and ‘ritten by Steve. Life is busy…:))

I'm not a big puzzle guy.  Bradyn loves puzzles. Stephanie, too.  I guess I just don't have the patience to sit and try each piece in their color, shape and size.  This particular puzzle was a gift from Uncle Shawn, Stephanie's brother, to our children. It's a personalized picture of all five ladies plus their Boggie and Bumpa.  It was a real doozy. 1000 pieces and lots of skin color, lots and lots of white, and wow, I think I may have done one of the 1000 pieces and it took me a good while, too.  A puzzle is what our life feels a bit like right now.  We know the puzzle picture is already completed. Church planting.  We have about 150 pieces done.  So, we can see it beginning to form, but not enough to answer the questions we get often: what is next? Where are you going? Any idea on your future?  But, it is coming together.  But slowly…

I sensed from the Lord that I was going to be like Abraham – By faith, setting out, not knowing where I was going. It has been like that.  Lots of options but not clear peace.

It is just amazing how when the options are endless, it is freeing...And overwhelming. So the only thing we can do, honestly, is wait. Pastor Jerry at Crossroads really encouraged me the other day when he said, "Don't settle. Wait on the Lord."  Waiting is so hard sometimes. Not just for its obvious frustrations.  No one likes waiting for anything.  Waiting is so un-American and so contrary to everything and everyone around me.  The hard, humbling part is that waiting can be confused and judged as laziness and doing nothing and sitting around. I would much rather do anything than nothing. So, how do I purposefully wait? 

I was ministered to by a song the other day written by Roby Duke at church. "Behold, the God who leads us, Day by Day, to worship His Son."  That is God's ultimate leading will for my life. To worship Jesus. The rest are details.

I heard another song which has encouraged me and probably so many others. It was written and sung by  John Waller...

Here are the words:

I'm waiting

I'm waiting on You, Lord

And I am hopeful

I'm waiting on You, Lord

Though it is painful

But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident

Taking every step in obedience

While I'm waiting

I will serve You

While I'm waiting

I will worship

While I'm waiting

I will not faint

I'll be running the race

Even while I wait

I'm waiting

I'm waiting on You, Lord

And I am peaceful

I'm waiting on You, Lord

Though it's not easy

But faithfully, I will wait

Yes, I will wait

I will serve You while I'm waiting

I will worship while I'm waiting

I will serve You while I'm waiting

I will worship while I'm waiting

I will serve you while I'm waiting

I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

I love this idea that I am waiting and yet while I am waiting, I am serving and worshipping God… And so we wait and serve and worship and wait… 

And just in case I am not the only one, waiting on God for anything, here is a verse for you…

Psalm 27:14

¹⁴Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

We leave tomorrow for a Debrief and Renewel retreat for returning missionaries at www.mti.org We will be back on Friday…

Thanks for praying!

Steve