Patience: the capacity to accept suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious.
How to describe Spain…
Well, it’s hard to describe Spain. This month we have been traveling so often, I feel my actual view of Spain is probably mixed up and jumbled in such a way it is not actually “Spain”. Instead, my month is probably better summarized as an internal journey, one of observation, learning, singing, laughing, praying, walking, lots of walking, and adventure.
Every day was a travel day. Every day we woke up, packed our bags, and set off on a new adventure.
An hour felt like a day. A day felt like an hour.
Time seemed to pause. Simultaneously a skip in the clock and 24 days disappeared into thin air.
Spain is warm. Spain is hospitable. The people are kind and eager to get to know you. When sitting at a restaurant the food service is much slower. Somedays we would wait for our food for nearly an hour followed by another hour of conversing while waiting for the ticket. Yet, never did we receive poor service. The people themselves don’t start the day until 9 or 10 in the morning. At 2 everything shuts down until they reopen around 6 and stay open until late. It’s a late culture. There is no rush. Yet everything continues forward.
Walking the Camino, we moved step by step always continuing foward, but never getting anywhere very fast. Long conversations dived deep into the afternoons and on into the night.
A bus shows up an hour late
We have to change plans… for the 15th time
Knee pain slows the pace even further
Some go on ahead
There’s no real plan, so…. What exactly do you do?
It seems as if you have an infinite amount of time, and yet no time at all to invest in any one thing.
Must keep moving on.
Can’t take life at a slow pace, can’t stop and appreciate the beauty even though all that you have is time, and more time.
So why patience? From day 1 of the World Race God has continually been telling me the same thing. I didn’t call you to go on the World Race. I called you to walk with me. So Wait. Wait for this, wait for that, wait on me, have patience with the process, wait for my direction, wait for me to move, don’t rush ahead of me. Wait on me. It will come. The dream, the vision, the life will come. This month I have spent the majority of my time praying. Whether hiking the Camino, or sitting in a bus, or resting on the beach, I have spent a lot of time just sitting… praying… waiting. I love it and am learning to love it more and more. For years I have been praying that God prepare me for His purposes, for years it’s been a desire of my heart to forsake everything and follow Him into the world, to walk with Him into the darkest places and bring life, to carry out His work, to be a light shining in the dark, to go and love and serve and now, the world in front of me, I see so clearly His hand in bringing about not just desires and dreams of my heart (there’s many but they pale in comparison to this next part)
But I also see His hand clearly bringing change and life to the world. His Kingdom is coming. His work is being done. His mission is being carried out. For now it may be simple in my life. It may not seem very extraordinary, or even what I want to be doing. I can feel held back and stifled, or I can know that He is working. The seasons are coming. We still have work to do, we still have a call to preach the gospel to all Nations, to the Ends of the Earth. We aren’t finished.
Here I am, at what feels like the start of my life, everything before me, and God asks one thing: WAIT.
Here’s what wait means:
WAIT
Just wait.
Have patience
Patience with other people, patience with your life, patience with friendships, patience with the story. So often we see the world in days and weeks, even in years. God carries out His work across generations. He works in centuries, over thousands of years, from the beginning of time until it’s end. He also works in moments, in seconds, in minutes, in days. Don’t expect what takes years to happen in days. Don’t miss what happens in days because you are focused on the years. Live life. EVERY day is an adventure. EVERY life a story. Loosen up a bit.
The most important and frequent use of the word “wait,” is to define the attitude of a soul God-ward. It implies the listening ear, a heart responsive to the wooing of God, a concentration of the spiritual faculties upon heavenly things, the patience of faith, “the earnest expectation of the creation” (Romans 8:19). It describes an eager anticipation and yearning for the revelation of truth and love as it is in the Father.
Waiting is a binding. A weave of looking to God in everything and actively seeking His face. “Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and all of these things will be added unto you.” Dwell. Abide. Seek. Wait. Trust. And Hope for His promises.
To Wait is to Trust. To Trust is to Hope. To Hope is to confidently patiently KNOW God NEVER fails, ALWAYS keeps His promises, and His Loving Kindness WILL prevail.
With this mind, with a patient heart, with a willingness to wait on the Lord, you can accept ANY suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious. You have patience—by first looking to the Lord. Any temporary discomfort or feelings of inadequacy or set back in life or friends pushing your buttons or lack or trial of any kind can be greeted with a willing acceptance without becoming annoyed. But it takes patience and it takes HOPE.
This month I have begun to learn the meaning of waiting. Whether that be in the big picture of life by letting God set the path before me. Bringing answers to the dreams of my heart. Or looking first to Him for provision. Trusting He is going to provide food and housing. Waiting for Him to show up in a conversation. Learning to follow His lead in Evangelism. Looking for His wisdom. Waiting for Him to show me what ways He wants me to grow next. Letting Him decide the “training” for my Faith. Praying and waiting in Faith for the answer even if it takes weeks. Seeking His Face. Looking FIRST to Him in ALL things. Learning to wait on Him for everything. And day by day walking hand in hand with my God. To Walk in Humility. To NOT rush ahead. This is probably going to take a lifetime to learn… even more, a lifetime to live out… it’s a walk by FAITH. HOPING in His promises.
Again and again this month has asked for patience. It’s a time for being built up and encouraged, to grow in maturity and wisdom. I’m beginning to love patience, to love waiting, and to grow in trusting.
Our God is good. We don’t have to rush ahead of Him.
It is a MILLION times better to walk with Him by our side waiting/trusting/hoping in His every word, every promise, and every move. The seasons come to fruition. Fruit does come. Life abiding. Life just being in His presence. It’s ridiculously simple and yet the hardest thing to do consistently.
Step by step walking with… not ahead.
In times of doubt, look once again to His face, His character, His pursuit of you.
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.” The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently For the salvation of the LORD.
Lamentations 3:24-16
Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope for His lovingkindness
on those who wait for His lovingkindness
Psalm 33:18
“My soul, wait thou …. for God only”
Psalms 69:5
“Our soul hath waited for Yahweh”
Psalms 33:20
“Mine eyes fail while I wait for my God”
Psalms 69:3
“Wait for Yahweh, and he will save thee”
Proverbs 20:22
“Therefore, return to your God, Observe kindness and justice, And wait for your God continually.”
Hosea 12:6
“Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.”
Isaiah 30:18
“I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope.”
Psalm 130:5
The Lord is my light and my salvation—
so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
so why should I tremble?
When evil people come to devour me,
when my enemies and foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
Though a mighty army surrounds me,
my heart will not be afraid.
Even if I am attacked,
I will remain confident.
The one thing I ask of the Lord—
the thing I seek most—
is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
delighting in the Lord’s perfections
and meditating in his Temple.
For he will conceal me there when troubles come;
he will hide me in his sanctuary.
He will place me out of reach on a high rock.
Then I will hold my head high
above my enemies who surround me.
At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,
singing and praising the Lord with music.
Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
Be merciful and answer me!
My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
Do not turn your back on me.
Do not reject your servant in anger.
You have always been my helper.
Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me,
O God of my salvation!
Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the Lord will hold me close.
Teach me how to live, O Lord.
Lead me along the right path,
for my enemies are waiting for me.
Do not let me fall into their hands.
For they accuse me of things I’ve never done;
with every breath they threaten me with violence.
Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness
while I am here in the land of the living.
Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.
Psalm 27
Wait for the Lord
Trust in the Lord
Hope in the Lord
He always comes through
With Faith, Hope, and Love
Nathan
