Waiting on the Lord

Months ago (maybe even a year ago) I truly believe God laid something on my heart. I don't say that sort of thing often, but in this case it is really unmistakable for me. But rather than act on it right away, I truly felt Him asking me to spend time in prayer over the need that He was showing me. I felt that He was asking me to pray through this year and to ask at least one other person to pray along with me--someone who had walked a similar road that I had and whose heart was also softened toward this need because of the journey. And so I did. And thankfully she agreed.

I'm not trying to be cryptic, I just feel strongly that God is still growing seeds and the time has not yet come for those "seeds" to bloom.

In addition to praying and asking another to pray with me over the course of the year, I shared what was laid on my heart with two other women whom I trust and who continually point me to be seeking His face. I value their input and sensitivity and knew I would benefit from their words, and I did.

Recently, I have felt a surge of developing ideas in my mind and heart in relation to what it is I have been praying about. I struggle to wait, to be patient, and to continually turn things over to God for His guidance, rather than just taking off and running at full speed. I know the ideas that are developing, if put into practice, would bear good fruit. But I also know that if those ideas and plans are allowed to sit and to be molded more and more and over and over by God, that the results will be farther reaching and much deeper than anything I could do by taking off and running with it all now.

So I am learning patience. I am learning to wait. I am struggling to learn those things.

I posted a verse recently on Facebook. At the time, I chose it for a different reason. But in going back to God's Word tonight to look for verses about waiting on the Lord, this verse came up again, and it strikes me that God showed me this verse earlier this week, before any of these recent thoughts/plans started stewing in my mind:

Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. (Isaiah 26:8)

And that truly is what it's about--to remember that I am waiting while trying to walk in His ways, and His name and renown must be the foremost desire of my heart. So here goes nothing--in the truest sense of that statement. I'm going to do . . . nothing. Nothing except take note of what He is saying, pray more about it, and continue to listen (that's actually a lot of "something" when you think about it). Because I trust that God called me to wait on Him during this time. And while He speaks, it is important that I remember not to take the first thing I hear and run off with quick wave of the hand behind me and a barely audible "Thanks God!" as I head off to try it on my own. Here's hoping I can do things differently this time . . . God's way instead of mine . . . for a change. We'll see what happens . . .