When we plant a seed, there are processes immediately at work between that seed and the soil and water and sun, that unbeknownst to us are happening even before we see any indication that the plant is going to grow. I’ve not yet heard of anyone truly finding magic beans that grow into a huge beanstalk overnight, and if I did I’d be leery to sell the “family cow” to buy one because things grown overnight are rarely as wonderful and good-quality as the ones you wait for.
The finest wines are aged for decades.
Babies take 9 months to grow inside their mothers.
And I’m coming to realize that between the faith we plant in God’s promises and the time of getting to eat the fruit of those promises, there is always a wait.
Sometimes God gives me little pieces of knowledge before I actually know what I’m supposed to use it for, and I jot these words down knowing I’ll certainly need them later. Probably on multiple occasions.
A few years ago I wrote down these two thoughts:
*When you are pregnant, you do not want your baby to come too soon. That could be dangerous and even deadly. We must wait for our blessings until their due time. Only God knows the due date (of ALL we are waiting for).
*Discomfort can be a sign of a good thing on the way. When a mother is expecting, she often must go through morning sickness, breast pain, nausea, and the agony of childbirth. But she bears these things gladly knowing the rewards that will follow.
The road to our answered prayers is not easy.
Waiting is a painful part of the process, and so is the growing that we must go through to be ready.
It’s so easy to want our beans to grow overnight or want the “pregnancy” (the waiting period) to hurry up.
But if it did, what came from it would not be healthy.
So instead of praying for no wait, I’m realizing we need to pray for strength and peace DURING the wait.
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When I was in labor with my first son, it took over 24 hours because my body tensed up in pain. Even my epidural didn’t help. With my daughter and practicing relaxation techniques, it wasn’t quite as long and it definitely wasn’t as painful.
Perhaps if we force ourselves to look away from the pain, to relax even when everything inside us wants to curl up in a ball and tense up, just maybe the wait won’t be (or feel) as long. And it probably won’t be as painful either.
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Let’s distract ourselves today by praising God BEFORE the breakthrough!
Praise him for the work he is doing under the surface!
Praise him for the processes happening that we cannot see, between the seed and the soil.
Even praise him for the fertilizer (whatever “poopy” situation we find ourselves in 💩) that is going to help us grow in faith in HIM, instead of the false sense of security we are used to having in other things.
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Psalm 126:5-6
“Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.”
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The work God does within us while we wait is just as important as whatever we are waiting for. 🍓
From Full 