Called to Wait

I've never liked waiting for things. If there's something I want, I want it now. Patience is a virtue, and it is one that I am constantly working on and stuggling to practice.

I recently read an article about the Biblical roles of men and women in relationships. This is something I have noticed a lot of Christian writers and speakers focusing on lately, and I think it's because our culture tries to tell us that the sexes are equal. We are taught from society that women can do anything men can do and vice versa. We are taught that men and women were created equally, but when you look into the Scripture, you can see that is not the case.

God created men to be leaders. He gave them practical minds and leadership skills. He gave them dominion over all the other creatures of the world.

God created women to be helpers. He made them nurturing. He gave them the gifts of creativity and multi-tasking and the wonderful priveledge of bringing life into the world.

He created us very differently, because He had designed two very different roles for us to fill.

The article I read ("Designed To Be Different" by Candice Watters, The Brink Magazine, Fall 2010, Randall House Publishing) talked about these differences and how they affect our relationships. One part that especially stuck out to me was:

"My friend Carolyn McCulley illustrated one of these differences in a talk she gave about romance, 'Men trust God by risking rejection. Women trust God by waiting.' We're equally called to trust, but in different ways.

That's hard to hear. Why the difference? For women, it feels passive. For both, unfair. Yet from Genesis forward, God made male and female distinct. We are the same at the cross, equally in need of redemption, equally invited to receive it. But in our sexuality, we are not the same."

That's something I have never thought about before. Male and female are both called to trust God when it comes to relationships, but in different ways. And I have to admit, its a hard thing to do.

Because just like Mrs. Watters said in her article, waiting feels so passive. Finding a spouse is one of the most important things we will do on this earth. And it can be really hard to wait for God to send that person.

One of the hardest things for me to accept has been that I am not promised a spouse. I'm still not sure if I have accepted the fact that Mr. Right may never come. It's something that I have always assumed would happen. Getting married has always been in my plan. But I don't know if it is in God's plan or not. All I can do is trust and wait.

What is God teaching you?

I am so thankful that we serve such a gracious and loving God!

Have you ever noticed that God will put the same messages in front of you over and over until you finally get what He's trying to tell you? And did you know that my God is big enough that He can use ANYTHING to speak to me (and to you)?

Here's an example:

Apparently, God wants me to be more faithful, because lately that's the message I've been getting over and over. It all started when I was watching the movie Facing the Giants. I love the part where the old man comes into Coach Taylor's office and reads Revelation 3:7-8. Coach Taylor follows him out into the hall and the old man tells him a story about two farmers that prayed for rain. Both farmers prayed, but only one went out and prepared his fields to receive the rain. So, the man asks, which farmer had the most faith? Of course, Coach Taylor answers that the farmer that prepared his fields had the most faith. The old man nods and asks Coach Taylor, "Which one are you?"

In the past two weeks, I have watched that movie about three times (because TV has been really crappy the last few weeks, and because I love it and I'm ready for football season). Anyway, I have also heard my pastor use that movie and that illustration in a sermon. I have heard my pastor's wife and friend use that illustration in a Children's Ministry Group Meeting. I have even seen an episode of Law and Order where a character on the show talked about the same thing (See what I mean about God being able to use anything? How many times does Law and Order speak to you about your faith?)

So I'm thinking, God must want me to have more faith. I need to prepare my fields for the rain.

And then I realize that I have no idea what my field is.

I have also been running into messages and studies about God's vision for our lives. I have been trying for an entire year to find what God's vision for my life is. And here I am, praying to God and saying - Why won't you give me a vision? I'm ready. I'm willing. Just show me what to do! Show me where to serve! Show me and I will go!

Well, guess what? I have been talking to God an awful lot, but I haven't been listening very well. (Does that ever happen to you, or is it just me?)

I realized when I watched Facing the Giants for the 100th time last night, that before God started really working in Grant Taylor's life, Grant Taylor totally surrendered EVERYTHING to God. He gave God his hopes and his dreams. He gave God his fears and his failures. He gave God EVERYTHING!

I haven't done that yet. (I know - shocker. Who would have ever thought that I would want to be in control? That's totally unlike me, right? Right?) You are allowed to laugh at the previous statement, by the way. But I'm not just being funny. I'm being serious. I have yet to give God my hopes and my dreams. I'm still limiting God and His vision for my life because I'm trying to put God into my life. I want it all in a neat little package where God's plans go perfectly with mine and we're all just hunky-dorey and kumbya.

But that's not how this works.

You can't say "God, give me a vision for my life, as long as the vision is this..."

You can't say, "God, I surrender my life to you. Except for my personal life. I think I'll just find a husband on my own, and you can have the rest."

You can't say, "God, I'm totally willing to do whatever you want, but I'm really wanting to do this specific thing..."

And, you can't say, "God, I'm waiting on you to show me what you want me to do and I'm not budging or moving or doing anything until you show me and I've decided that I'm happy with what you want me to do."

Have you ever heard the song "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller? It was in the movie Fireproof. If you've never heard it, buy it on i-tunes. It's worth it. It talks about what it feels like to wait on God. Because God sends us the "rain" on His time, not ours. And it can be hard to wait. But what I love about the song the most is the message about HOW to wait. It says:

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

Did you catch that? While we're waiting on God to show us His grand vision and plan (which we may never know, because some things are just not for us to know), we're supposed to worship. We're supposed to serve. We're supposed to obey God. We're supposed to run the race.

We're to (I know you were waiting for me to put this quote in here since I put it in everything...here you go!) BLOOM WHERE GOD HAS PLANTED US!

So maybe I don't know yet what God wants me to do with my life. Yes, it's hard not to know. It's annoying sometimes. It's confusing and painful and sometimes it's just downright awful. But guess what? I know that God is in control. And if I'm walking with Him "taking every step in obedience", like the song says, then I know that I will end up in the right place.

God didn't place us on earth to just wander around aimlessly. He placed us here with a purpose. And even if I don't know what my specific purpose is yet, I know that He has called us all into the ministry - He wants us all to worship Him and to obey Him and to have a relationship with Him and to TELL OTHERS ABOUT HIM!

God is always teaching us something. And if we would just wake up and take notice, we'd see Him at work everywhere.

So, I guess that I've been learning to be faithful, to SURRENDER my ENTIRE life to God, to serve God while I'm waiting, and to LISTEN to God instead of just talking at Him all the time. What is God teaching you?

"Bloom where He has planted you."

This weekend, I was blessed to be able to attend our state WAC Meeting. There, I heard messages from three different women: our state President, a friend and fellow WAC Member, and our national WNAC Secretary/Treasurer. None of these women planned their messages together, but they all went together perfectly. What an awesome God-thing! He knew exactly what we needed to hear, and He worked through these women to bring us His message.

Then, on Sunday, my Sunday School lesson and the sermon that Bro. Rick preached both continued the same message that I had heard on Friday and Saturday.

It is so humbling to see God working like that. He orchestrated two devotions, a lesson that was written and printed months ago, a message and a sermon all together to show me that He is in control and that I need to stop trying to be and just let Him lead me.

What's even more amazing is that I'm not the only one that got a blessing out of this weekend. I have a dear friend that attended the meeting with me and heard all of the same messages (including the Sunday School lesson and the sermon on Sunday). We heard the same words and read the same scriptures, and God spoke to us about completely different things.

Only the true God of the universe could do that! My friend said that God showed her that we all need to spend more personal time with Him. He revealed that to me as well, and also showed me that I need to stop worrying about what my purpose and my gifts are and just let Him show me.

One of my biggest problems lately has been trying to figure out what my purpose is. I'm at a point where I need to decide what I want for my future. I should be picking out a college major and setting goals for my future career, but I feel clueless.

When Mrs. Danita High (WNAC Sec./Tres.) spoke on Saturday, she said, "Bloom where He has planted you."

Of all the messages and all the great things I heard this weekend, that saying has stuck with me the most. I'm the type of person that wants everything to be perfect. I always say, "I would love to do this, but I have to wait for this to happen, and to get this bill paid off and to get this done first..." The list goes on and on. I always want everything to line up and form the perfect situation before I feel like I can "bloom."

Unfortunately, that perfect situation never happens and I end up never doing what I had planned or dreamed of doing because I'm still waiting on the perfect opportunity. God showed me this weekend that I really need to step out on faith and follow Him. Even when I can't see how something will work, He can make it happen.

Lately, I have been so focused on what's going to happen next and trying to figure out where I'm going from here that I haven't been living in the moment. I've stopped "blooming," and I'm sure that I have missed many blessings and many opportunities to share the love of Jesus in the process. It just breaks my heart that I've let myself get so caught up in the future that I've forgotten to live for today.

Matthew 6:33-34 says, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself."

That tells us that God will provide for us and that we need to live in the moment. It doesn't mean that we can't make plans for the future. God wants us to make plans and have goals. But we can't let our plans and goals get in the way of His divine plans for us.

Mrs. Amanda York, who gave a devotion at the meeting this Saturday, spoke about obedience. She said, "God asks us to be obedient in small ways and He rewards our obedience." Sometimes, being obedient can mean putting your plans on hold to do what God leads you to do. Her main points were that:

1. We must be where we need to be spiritually. We should make personal time with Him a priority and we should make an effort to be in His presence and in the Word daily.

2. We should find our Spiritual Gifts and USE THEM!

3. We should be willing to be used for God's glory.

She also said that our goals and dreams are no good if they take precident over God's will. But, if we are where we need to be spiritually - if we are walking with God daily like we need to be, then our dreams and His plans for us will be the same.

I still don't know what God's ultimate plan for my life is. He has not revealed it to me, probably because I am not ready for it yet. He's still working on me every day - strengthening my faith, drawing me closer to Him, and testing my obedience - all to prepare me for His ultimate purpose for my life.

I may not be where I want to be yet, but I'm where God has planted me for now, and I am going to bloom for Him. Are you willing to do the same?

Taught by the Bible, Led by the Spirit

I just got home from our Alabama State WAC Meeting. We met on Friday night and again on Saturday morning at First Free Will Baptist Church in Vernon, Alabama. Our theme was "Taught by the Bible, Led by the Spirit."

Mrs. Danita High, our WNAC Executive Secretary/Treasurer was our main speaker. She did a great job presenting the theme and offering encouragement to our ladies. Here are some of my notes from her presentation:

"Taught by the Bible, Led by the Spirit"

1 Corinthians 2:12-13 "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth: comparing spiritual things with spiritual."

Do you have a teachable spirit?

• Are you willing to admit that you are wrong?
• Are you willing to change?
• Are you willing to deny yourself and follow God's will?
• Are you willing to be used?
• Are you willing to give up time to develop a personal relationship with God?

Being taught by the Bible

• 2 Timothy 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
• You always had to study for tests in school, right? Life is your ultimate test and the Bible is your ultimate Study Guide. God wants us to put in the effort to know and understand His word.
• 2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
• Our God is so awesome - there is no situation, no issue, no struggle that we may have that is not covered in His word. He has "thoroughly furnished" us with all that we need, and He reveals it to us when we need it.

Being led by the Spirit

• Galatians 5:16-17 "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would."
• Every day, there is a war waging between our flesh and our Spirit - but WE CAN BE VICTORIOUS!
• Matthew 7:20 "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."
• Do people know you by your fruits? Do people see Christ shining through you on a daily basis? Do people know that you know the Lord by the things they see in your life?
• When you live in the word and let the Spirit lead you, you will naturally bear spiritual fruit.

"Bloom where He planted you."

• Luke 9:23 "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."
• No matter what your title, no matter what your role at home or work, God has a divine purpose for your life. He has placed you in this moment so that you can grow closer to Him, so that you can witness for Him, and so that you can bloom.

Pray - Lord, give me a teachable spirit. Help me to study and understand Your word. Please fill me with the Spirit and lead me in the way that You would have for me to go. - Amen

Thank you so much, Mrs. Danita, for coming to minister to us today! We all really enjoyed you being there and hearing what God had laid on your heart for us.

I will be posting more pictures of the event later, so make sure to check back! Thanks for reading...

Our State Officers: President - Carolyn Hendrix, Vice President - Jane Brazil, Secretary - Elwanda Oakes, Treasurer - Cynthia Knowles

More State Officers: Field Worker - Wendy Shuemake, Member at Large - Carolyn Mitchell, Scholarship Chair - Allecia Phenicie, Member at Large - Amanda Taylor

The Provision Closet Items:

We had over $2,000 of products donated for our missionaries!

What an answer to prayer!

The ladies from Sulphur Springs that attended the meeting.

Mrs. Amanda, Mrs. Janet, Mrs. LaWanda, Kayla and Christina