Psalm 27:13-14
I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten better at waiting—sort
of.
As a child, my mom signed me up for the Dr. Suess book club.
I remember being so happy when the wait ended each month, and I had a shiny new
book in my hands. I’m sure I wondered every day if a book would come in the
mail. When my little package would finally arrive, I’d read the books over and
over until the mail carrier delivered the next batch.
As a momma-to-be, I waited for Sara to arrive. The closer to
the due date the more anxious I was to meet my baby. I was the same with Maggie
and Hannah, the waiting was the worst.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to take a book to the
doctor’s office, people watch in line at the store, and order with Amazon Prime
(so I don’t have to wait.) But when I’m working on a project—a book
or devotion that’s sent out to be considered for publication, the waiting can
be excruciating.
But I’ve chosen to apply a nugget of wisdom I learned from Michelle
Medlock Adams at a recent virtual conference. She said we can have joy as we
wait, and the joy in waiting stems from knowing God is sovereign, he’s at work
even as I wait. Whatever results from my efforts, God has my best interest in
mind.
To practice joy as I wait isn’t easy. My anxiety peaks and the
what-ifs dance in my mind. But when I focus on God and the joy of being his
child, instead of myself, the waiting is easier.
David, who wrote this psalm, waited. And he reminds me to
take heart and be strong—to find the joy. Gratitude produces joy as I anticipate an
outcome. I’m thankful for the opportunity, grateful for the possibility, and
joy filled because I know God has this.