We aren’t the only ones that wait

Waiting.
Let’s face it, if there is something on this earth we dislike the most, it is that – wait.
Even before the days of movies on demand and fast food given to us through a window while we are still in a car, nobody liked to wait. God promised a land to the Israelites but even with that promise, they got tired of waiting and just complained and complained.
And that leads to another thing, we love to complain as much as we dislike waiting and the two go hand in hand.
We have gotten into a mindset that when we pray, we think we should get results immediately. And when we don’t we complain.
It is times like this we will hear people say, “God does his best teaching as we wait.” And yes that is true, but we need to remember Psalm 46:10 “Be Still, and know that I am God.”
So what does standing still have to do about waiting, well you have to look at the Hebrew to understand this verse of the Bible. The word in Hebrew is “rapa,” which means to slacken, let down or cease. So when we put that in the verse, “Cease, and know that I am God,” it takes on a whole new meaning. He is basically saying, to calm down and that He got you.
Remember, He does it on his timetable, not yours. This is your life, not a Big Mac. He is not going to answer every prayer request, he is not going to intercede in everything. He has a plan. So as that plan unfolds, we just need to stop or cease or complaining and worrying and know that He is God, He created us and as He says in Ephesians 2:10, “ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
We can wait, because He has.
What?
That surprises you?
God is all powerful, he doesn’t wait for anything, you are probably saying. If He wants an apple, He points at the ground and fully grown fruit tree arises. God waits for nothing, you say.
And I say you are wrong.
You want me to prove it to you?
OK, you asked for it and the answer is simple, God waits for us.
Not of all of us accepted Christ at an early age. Some of us it took a very long time, case in point – me.
The best way to describe my faith for the first 40 years of my life, would be by saying I was just going through the motions. I grew up Roman Catholic and around 18, decided it just wasn’t for me. I never prayed, never read the bible and when I went to church, I would be looking at my watch or reading the bulletin – not caring what was being said. I changed my religion somewhere around 2005 because of my ex-wife and my kids, but still I was in the house but I didn’t know who owned it. I had no relationship with God.
Then came 2010.
The year began with both of my adopted daughters in foster care. Why? Because my ex-wife wasn’t ready to parent them and I tried my best but with working two jobs my time was limited.
My ex-wife went away to “help” her grandmother at the beginning of 2010 and around February asked for a divorce.
I agreed even though my heart was broken. I had spent so much time dedicated to my family it was all I wanted.
About two weeks later she asked to come back to me, and at that time I found out she had cheated on me. It was at this point I came a nap and a dream away from killing myself. But I didn’t and I took her back, even dropped my second job because she made it feel like her cheating on me was my fault. And I agreed.
We even went to marriage counseling and the guy there made it feel like it was my fault.
All the while I was jumping through hoops to bring the girls back home, my ex-wife was sleeping around.
I knew it. But what I wanted was my family back together, so once again I allowed it.
Then came June.
This was my ex-wife told me she was going through a mid-life crisis. She wanted to be 16 and date again.
So I allowed it. I had to take down all of our family pictures from the house and there were nights I slept in my car at the parking lot of Lowes because she had a boyfriend over. None of these guys knew she was married, it was all part of her game.
I too was allowed to date. I didn’t I went out with female friends just because I was alone. But I stayed true to my vows, which was a precursor to what was going to happen.
Over the next few months, she went in and out of relationships and I was always there for her. But she was more concerned about the next one than the one she had.
In August, on a Tuesday night, she told me she loved her current boyfriend more than me and wanted a divorce.
Once I again I agreed.
We were still living in the same house because I held out hope she would realize what she had in me. I wanted her back because I wanted my girls home. I wanted my family.
I went into a deep depression. I drank a lot.
One day at work, my store manager noticed my mood swings and told me to go see a therapist and if I didn’t he was going to have to fire the best salesmen he had.
I went to a therapist. She called me a putz. She called me a lot of things.
In October, I finally had enough and the ex-wife left.
A month later, in a dizzying three days I met Wendy. On my way to see her in person the first time, a rainbow appeared out of nowhere over a church in Danville.
I asked Wendy to marry me in 2011, we were married in 2012.
Fast forward to 2014, Wendy convinced me to go to a Tres Dias weekend. I humored her and went.
It was in April and on that Friday, I finally realized something that hit me like a ton bricks. First, the church that the rainbow was over, I was sitting in. Second, even though I didn’t know God, he knew me. He was there for me. He was the dream that kept me alive. He sent that manager to talk to me. He helped me keep my friends that during 2010 kept me sane. He gave me the strength to finally pull away. He sent me Wendy. Third, Even though I had no faith, He had faith in me.
I cried for a good hour and even missed dinner because of it. Later that night, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior.
Since then, I realized instead of living for things, I live for Him. Because when I live for Him, everything else is taken care of.
I went through a lot of levels of Hell back then, not all noted here. But He allowed me to get to the edge, and then He brought me back. Each time teaching me a lesson.
God waited for me, so waiting for Him doesn’t sound like that bad of a thing, just be still and know that He is God.