Tick, tock
There goes another minute on the clock
And...
Another hour
And...
Another day....
What is the magic word again?
Oh...Please...
Tick, tock
God! Please God! Do you hear me?
Tick, tock
A year
God, did I simply misunderstand you?
Tick, tock
Another year
God, do you hear me?! I have been waiting. God...waiting for you to fulfill your promise.
Tick, tock
A decade?
Ok, that's enough!
Where is the magic wand?
I will do it myself!
Perhaps, this could have been what Sarai was thinking when she said, "The Lord has kept me from having any children," Sarai said to Abram, 'Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her." And Abram agreed. -Genesis 16:2
In Sarai case, her tongue was her fairy godmother, and Hagar was her magic wand. She was done waiting on God to make her the mother of all nations and Abram the father of all nations.
As a child, I grew up with fairy tales. I read the stories; I watched the Disney films. It was only natural to dream that my problems could be solved with a magic wand. If only I had one, I could simply tell the dishes to clean themselves, turn my rags into a red carpet look, transform pumpkins into carriages to take me to the places I want to go and leave difficult people behind. In other words, if I had a magic wand. I could solve my own problems and make my own dreams come true.
The tricky thing about magic is it limited strength. It never last. The clock will strikes midnight sooner or later.
Over time, Hagar begin to act like the princess. She had possess of the glass slipper, after all. Yet, The glass slipper was created for Sarai. I wonder, if she stop believing in that truth.
I cannot judge Sarai. I understand wanting God's promises to come to pass, the second that He places them in my heart. When He gives me a calling, I want it to happen soon and when it doesn't or the forecast makes it seem impossible I doubt. I doubt it was for me or question whether I heard God right.
I know I am not alone in this. We live in a high-speed, high-tech world. Smart phones act a magic wand to guide us to a website when we simply click a few buttons we can order our desires. Search engines grant us the answer to our questions in the blink of an eyes (whether they are accurate or not, is a different story). Plus, we are lead to believe that we deserve to make our own happily ever after. In a way, smart phones are like magic wands.
Although...
We are not of this world.- John 17:16
We are still in this world.
God's Ways are not our ways.- Isaiah 55:8
Perhaps that is why God gives us the grace of waiting in the waiting room.
Believers may find themselves in the waiting room. Waiting for God for their next assignment or waiting for God to fulfill His promises and callings. God's purpose for the waiting room is for us be stagnant. It is quite the opposite. The purpose of the waiting room is just as important as any assign we receive. It can be a place of restoration, preparation, and transformation occur.
Like a sauna, the waiting room can be a place where the soreness of our faith muscles can be relieved and their strength restored. It is a place where we can open up and allow God's word to detox our hearts of any toxins or bacteria that we may have consumed living in this world. This a place to release our trouble and let God work.
Like a sauna, the waiting room can make your sweat. God's preparation period can be very draining. It can take all you have to give, just to survive it. God uses the waiting room to prepares us for the next battle.
Like when Mr. Miyagi was training Daniel, we start with waxing the car: wax on, wax off. It seems like we are just doing someone else's chores. Yet, God is teaching a proper technique that we will use in our next fight. When we learn to do the small stuff, when we will be prepared when we are required to put into your practice. Before first, comes the tests where we have to apply what we have learned. We will get knocked down, we will feel like tapping out. Jesus will there to help us up, if we let Him. It is easier, if we realize that God is trying to show us how to win the battle. Like Mr. Miyagi said, 'if you must fight, win.' And with Jesus, we do.
In this preparation, we learn how to dance with others. Like Julie, we can go learn how to move in God's light through this dark world. He will teach us, if we let him take the lead. He is patience as we step on His toes. He is enough, even for the ones who never had a father to teach them or the ones whose father was too busy to show them how to trust in His love. He will help us focus on Him as we move through the floor of hate's chaos.
In this preparation, we learn how to respect others. In the 2010 version of The Karate Kid, Mr. Han taught Dre Parker karate by starting with teaching him to listen to his mother's rule of hanging his coat up. It turned out that he was secretly using the boy's coat as a method of karate. Like so, God can teach us to respect the rules of teachers, bosses, and law enforcers while he prepares us for battle. Respect is a bridge builder and bridge building is an important part of God's Will. .
The waiting room is also he revelation of transformation. Like a sauna, the waiting room can lead to weight loss and spiritual gain. We walk into the waiting room with extra fluid like shame, anxiety, despair, and anger. In the warmth of that room God removes that fluid. God meets us there and teaches us through acceptance and reflection. In waiting room, our pores release the toxins that destroy our hearts and minds allowing God to full them with His thoughts and His presence. He purpose is this: We do not come out the same as we go in. It is a beautiful thing when God shows us the before and after pictures, even if it is just in our minds.
A short while ago, I rushing to get the groceries put away before I had to pick up my daughter from school. I was placing two gallon jugs on the counter quickly and did not realize that one of the gallon was on the edge of the counter. Before I realized it, it had already struck the floor and was leaking everywhere. I think eighty percent of the milk was on the floor before I was able to pick it up and put it in the sink. I was very tempted to get upset and start crying, but instead I was able to take a breath. Then, a burst of energy came out of my mouth and I spoke against the devil by saying, 'you will not steal the blessing that God is trying to give me right now.' Then, I prayed for God's strength and for the ability to clean it up before I needed to leave. Even a few months ago, I would have been overwhelmed. By stopping to rebuke the devil's scheme, claiming the power that live in me and by praying for God's help, I was not able to clean up that mess, I was able to put the groceries away and got to the school as my daughter was coming down the sidewalk. Yes, God works in the small stuff (causes big emotions, can separate from our God given purpose).
God used this experience to show me that I not the same person as I was a decade, month or even a month ago; and yet, I am still growing, detoxing, and being transformed with every moment that I am in the waiting room
The waiting room can be uncomfortable, but it is essential for growth. It is a physical challenge that teaches endurance and dependence on God to supply our needs. Other times, it is a mental challenge that teaches us the power of God, who can and will do the impossible. It's always a spiritual challenge that will help us to grow in our relationship in God and love for our savior. So, if you are waiting on God, I hope you learn to transform it into a war room. A place of prayer and Bible study. A place where your wounds become your wisdom. A place where your past becomes the power you need to testify the gift of amazing grace and the beautiful, unyielding love of God.
We will always have the choice to take the magic wand and try to make God's purpose happen on our own or to take another breathe and listen to that music playing while we wait for Him to open the door.
Sarai and Abram learned was that God works on His time, not ours. At the same time, they learned God is true and He does not remove His promises to us because we doubt or try to make them come to pass with our own power. He is good like that.
Taking power in our hands, does often have consequences we have to face. Yet, it is never alone, nor without purpose. God still uses those consequences in His big pictures for the benefits of many. God meet Hagar and Ishmael in her despair We learn His patience, His mercy, and how deep His love really is...limitless.
Time spent in the waiting room shows us that nothing is wasted when we give it to God
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