THE TETHERING PLACE

So that last post was about being at a crossroads… having options in front of you and wondering which door to walk through. College decisions and job opportunities and numerous hot boys with excellent character trying to date you and such.

But what about those seasons when you are driving along and WANTING options, looking for the exit and wondering, have I missed it?!  You are bored or frustrated with your job, you are dating someone and don’t have a definitive no or yes, you are waiting to start something – a project, a volunteer opportunity, to get married, to have kids, to retire, to step in, to step out… and it seems like you…. are… just… waiting….

And you wonder if you have missed God. You wonder if you weren’t paying attention when He gave you “the sign”, you gave Him options and asked for the streetlight to flicker on your way home from work if the answer was yes or no…. And nothing.

You feel sort of abandoned.

And yet God says “If you seek me, you will find me. If you look for me with your whole heart I will be found by you”… He says, “Come to me and I will answer you and I will tell you great and unsearchable things that you do not know.”

I want to assure you that if you have your hands open, not clenched around THE answer you are looking for; if you have your eyes open and your bible open… you will not miss Him. In fact, He will get your attention even if you are looking the other direction.

The woman grieving over her son in Luke 7:11-17 was not even looking for Jesus. But Jesus saw her. She was broken by her own grief over first losing her husband and now her only son. She did not notice Jesus or ask Him for a thing. His compassion moved Him to intervene. Do you not think that Jesus sees you, sees your grief, your despair, your waiting?

If even an earthly father desires to give good gifts to his kids – wisdom and direction – would not God give more?! {Luke 11:9-13}

In MANY instances in my short life, I have seen God answer more often than not in the 11th hour… sometimes it seemed like the 13th, to be honest. I had already thrown my hands up, thrown the towel in, stopped asking, and then he showed up. I am learning that He is way more concerned about my dependence on Him than my future plans.

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I think my favorite word picture when it comes to this waiting on God idea, is freeway driving.  If I am driving on the freeway and don’t see a clearly marked exit, I don’t just turn off. I keep driving. I am faithful to the last direction the Lord gave, and I trust that I am growing in faithfulness, steadfastness, maybe longsuffering. I trust that I will be notified shortly before, but in just enough time, to turn off. I keep my eyes peeled, alert to distractions, present in the adventure, and I wait on the One that designed the system to indicate the time to turn off… into a rest stop or onto a beautifully slow country road; maybe it is a glorious expedition into new lands; perhaps the turn is a rocky detour and I lament the turn, looking back and thinking the freeway was much smoother… but regardless, I must remember that this whole journey is more about trust and relationship than right directions.

And so my friends… as we venture together, let’s stop doubting the faithfulness of the ONE who is most faithful, the One who gave His life for you, the One who is FOR you. And let’s keep on keepin’ on. I for one, am excited for that next exit, whenever it may come.