Waiting. The word evokes so many thoughts in my mind. Difficulty, impatience, endurance, hopefulness and hopelessness, worry, anticipation, and time. Waiting is a matter of time. Though it has much ado about our time, it is sovereignly God’s time.

In a world of choices and preferences, each person measures time on a different scale. Whether it be their own or God’s, the fact that these differences are real seems to me that there is a conflict. If I am waiting on God’s time for something to occur, but it is dependent on someone else’s time, then what time table am I really on?

I have found that if my waiting goes into the years, and I am aware of the waiting process, then more likely my waiting is due to someone else. Yes, there are things in between I am to do to live a productive life. No one, nor especially God, expects me to wait for nothing. Conversely, there are others that may be waiting on me, too. The challenge of it all is that we are all waiting on each other and we don’t even know it.

My biggest dilemma in these situations is to understand when my waiting is enough. God doesn’t disclose everything. How do I know that I have waited long enough?  How do I know that it is time to move on and to move out? Has the situation exhausted itself? Could there be anything more to do or not to do? Am I ready for that time to come?

I have waited for many things in my life. It was hard and difficult. Usually accompanied by frustration, sorrow, and disappointment. It took seventeen years for my most recent promotion to come to fruition. There were many that said “it’ll come.” Those words were so frugal. That’s what you say to get it out of the way and bypass uncomfortable conversations. It’s what you say to appease and move on.

People wait on many things. Waiting for a spouse to come home from military service, a wayward child, a job offer, a promotion, to win gold, to find a marital partner, for healing, recovery, and the next paycheck that cannot come soon enough.

I believe it takes wisdom to know the time. I wish it were as easy to look at my watch and therefore know. The mere fact that I mention this means that it isn’t enough to watch my watch. I need wisdom. God’s wisdom. He is the author of time and is time itself.

I am waiting for other things now. The list has grown shorter but broader. When you have  waited through it all and the seeming reward has come to pass, waiting is not a foe. You not only know what it takes to wait, but more importantly, you now have what it takes to wait.

Time takes waiting and waiting takes time.

In His Service,

Apollolina

Copyright 2016 by The Word in Motion

August 13, 2016 was my father’s 86th birthday. Throughout the years past I would call him and ask “Dad, where do you want to go eat on your birthday?” and he always said, “Anywhere, mija! Let’s go!” I enjoyed our time together. We would talk about my job, and his garden. He would catch me up on family and I’d tell him about my friends.

I miss those days, as I missed yesterday. It’s been four years since his passing and it doesn’t seem real to me. I can still hear his voice and see his smile. At times I can still feel his presence. He was a strong man. Throughout my life he remained my strength. There was no man like him. He was good, honorable, loving, and faithful.

Before he died I told him that God didn’t have to shield me in my young life because I had a father that knew how to do it. He smiled. I truly believe God entrusted my father to do the Father’s business in my life. It continued through the ensuing years.

It pains me to write this, but I must. I cannot write or speak of my father without feeling the loss. He was always there. He was there for me in the beginning, through the important moments, and in the end. He had the right words at the right time. He never spoke out of turn, or spoke without purpose. His words were few but resounding. When he spoke I listened. His actions followed his words. There was never a time I did not trust him or his intentions. I just knew he was true. Everything about my father was good. Most of all he loved me. And I still love him. For some reason I cannot speak of him in the past tense. For me, he will always be present tense in my life.

I realize there are many who do not have a father or cannot speak of their father the way I do. For you, I am sorry.

The greatest attribute of my father was his faithfulness. He was always faithful. As my father was faithful, so is God the Father. He is longing to be with you, to hear your voice and to be present in your life. There is no greater relationship known to humankind than the one with The Father. Faithful is the Father.

And so, on this day I remember you, Dad, as I remember you everyday of my life. You are my strength, my all and all, my everything. I miss you. I cannot wait to see you again.

I love you.

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”

(Ephesians 4: 6)

Copyright 2016  by The Word in Motion