Hello, 2009! Waiting on God...

This year is a clean slate, a blank canvas, waiting to be filled with all the wonderful (and other:-) events, happenings and memories that God will bring you in 2009! Are you looking forward to you? Are you dreading it? Are you just taking a "wait and see" attitude?

Every year God has done wonderful and amazing things in my life, so I look forward each year with curiosity to what He has in store for me and my family. There have been MANY very hard times and I have walked many a treacherous road, but through it all I have learned to lean on Him and know that He will never give us more than we are able to handle with His love and mercy and grace.

The biggest thing that God has been teaching us over the past 5 years is to wait on Him. Wait on His leading before we jump into things. Wait on His timing to do things. Wait on His voice to speak things. Wait on His guidance in decision-making. Wait on His still small voice inside our hearts to be that compass that guides us each and every day. Waiting seems to be very "un-American". We Americans don't like to wait, we are impatient and want to "make things happen". We look at those individuals who are movers and shakers and admire their ability to make things happen. What we forget is that waiting on God is the only way to do things His way! He is NOT impatient or in a hurry! He knows exactly what is going to happen next and far into the future. He knows exactly what is best for us. So why do we forge ahead and make plans and decisions before we hear from Him? We often have to deal with many repercussions and long-reaching effects that our "hurry up" mentality and impatience bring us. God didn't intend those things because He had a perfect time and situation in mind that we weren't willing to wait for. Then we cry out to Him to save us from the "fallout". I'm sorry - that is now our road to walk. He will be with us, but He won't usually change the circumstances that we brought about by our own impetuousness. He loves us too much to save us from the consequences - He simply stays by our side and loves us through the turmoil. That is the only way we learn and grow.

So, my greatest encouragement for this new year is to WAIT ON HIM!!!! I can't stress this enough and I hope and pray some of your ears will hear this message (and eyes read this message) and stop to consider His leading and guiding as you walk through this new year. Stop trying to make things happen NOW, and listen to His gentle voice inside your heart. You will know it is His voice - it is always calm and clear, quiet and gentle. His voice is never rushed, loud or harried. It is never panicky or stressed (that is YOU!). You must calm yourself and quiet all the other things rushing around in your head to hear him. You must stop working so hard to accomplish things and take a moment of quiet (my favorite time to hear Him is in the shower:-) to calm your turmoil and sense His presence and hear His voice.

He desperately wants to lead and guide you. He longs to be gracious to you and show you His plan for you today. He really does love you and want to direct each word, each step, each action of your day so that you can walk completely in His will. Will you listen? Will you stop? Will you wait on Him?