Waiting still...

The passport officer did not go to work yesterday so Jenkin's paperwork still sits in the pile. All of this waiting has me thinking...it seems that much of our lives we are waiting for something...waiting to get married, waiting to be blessed with children, waiting for those blessings to get out of diapers/Pullups so the food budget is manageable again!!
Currently,my heart is heavy for those around me who are waiting in the midst of the depths of physical suffering...our waiting for our children to come home seems trivial in comparison yet, in the battleground of my heart, my response is just as critical.
I looked up verses on waiting ...there are many! But here is one I was meditating on

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and take courage;
Wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14

What is this waiting with courage supposed to look like? First I must anchor my soul to the truths of God's unchanging character. I can not secure my soul to the flimsy anchor of my ever changing emotions or the unpredictable circumstances which can drive them to and fro.It takes courage to believe that God has not forgotten my cause, that though I see no change in my circumstances, I must believe in faith that He is working all things for my good and His glory .This is a supernatural enabling because on my own strength, I will not believe this way...I need God to do a deep work in my heart...to change my perspective so that I would value His. I can not listen to the doubts that would cause me to question His goodness or all surpassing wisdom....I need to be grounded in truth, saturated in His promises.

One of my favorite songs right now is from the cd "Valley of Vision" inspired by the book of Puritan prayers. The words remind me that in the valley of suffering, of waiting or whatever my trial happens to be, I learn more of Him. (For more info about this, click on the Sovereign Grace link on the right)

Verse1
When You lead me to the valley of vision
I can see You in the heights
And though my humbling wouldn't be my decision
It's here Your glory shines so bright
So let me learn that the cross precedes the crown
To be low is to be high
That the valley's where You make me more like Christ

Chorus:
Let me find Your grace in the valley
Let me find Your life in my death
Let me find Your joy in my sorrow
Your wealth in my need
That You're near with every breath
In the valley

Verse2
In the daytime there are stars in the heavens
But they only shine at night
And the deeper that I go into darkness
The more I see their radiant light
So let me learn that my losses are my gain
To be broken is to heal
That the valley's where Your power is revealed

Lord, grant us grace to wait for you ...to be strong and take courage...to find Your all sufficient grace in the valley of waiting.