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Learning to Wait on God

Learning to Wait

When Mimi was a baby she signed, which is an excellent way to communicate her needs. Two of my daughters signed (my middle one refused). Our signing girls during infancy/toddlerhood whined less than my middle who refused.

When we woke up in the morning after our good morning kisses, my baby would sign “milk.” I usually reply “Wait” (in sign) at which she began to get anxious. Continually signing milk, waving her arms, kicking her feet. She knows it is coming, but she wants it NOW! Once she gets it, she is satisfied and content.

No Patience

Now, my baby is also a “healthy eater,” horrible sleeper, but more than makes up for it in food consumption. When she was younger she would sign “eat,” and I respond “wait” her reaction is entirely different than when she wants milk.

Mimi would proceed to fall out on the ground and have a tantrum. Crying, yelling, signing till I put her in the high chair and fed her.

waitingon-god

Waiting without God

Waiting without God and waiting with God. I have found similarities with my one-year old’s patience. When I first found Christ, I would wait without God. Praying for things and anxiously waiting for God to answer; similarly to my toddler when I tell her to wait. Sometimes, I would have a full out tantrum because things weren’t happening in my time or how I wanted them.

I can Help God Mentality

Then I progressed in my faith and became like my middle daughter, Lailah. When I tell her to wait for something, she’ll take it upon herself to do it on her own. Calling herself “helping” me out usually ending up in a spill, break or simply a mess. I have “helped’ out God quite a few times resulting in nothing that I wanted or a long messy drawn out way to it.

Waiting with God

As a believer and an adult. I wait differently than I did when I first came into my faith. I have found Scripture to guide me; yet, still, work in progress. I still need to work on my execution.

Similarly to my oldest daughter; when she asks me for something, and I say “wait.” She will wait for a while to come back to me and “remind” or ask me again.  Then, if I still haven’t done it, she will ask if she can help me and wait a little longer.  Thanking me once I execute my task because of our fourteen years together she has gained trust in me and knew that I would get to it when I can.

4 Ways Scriptures Shows us to Wait

Like my relationship with all my daughters; I have learned to wait with God as I have matured in my faith. As I have grown, I have found that I need several things for me to have patience, hope, and trust that the Lord will answer my prayers. I may not like the answer, but I will receive a reply nonetheless in due time.

1. Wait

When waiting with the Lord, you have to have trust and confidence that He will answer you as well as stay close by His side so that you are ready when it is time. (Kind of like my twelve years old)

Psalm 33:20-22 (NIV) 20 We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. 22 May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.

This verse to me is a proven process of what is needed to wait for the Lord.

2. Help

I look to God for his help in trouble instead of offering my “help.”

Psalm 46:1(NIV) God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.

3.  Rejoice

Instead of fretting; I rejoice no matter what. I am grateful to turn to and to help me in need. I just need to come to Him, be grateful to Him and wait for Him to take action.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

4.  Trust

Something that I learned and continued to grow in is trusting in the Lord.  How He does things because it’s usually different from my own but always so much better than anything that I could do for myself.

Proverbs 3:5 (NIV) 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

waiting

What helps you get through the waiting phase?

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christian mom christianity Faith Journey

Through the Seasons

Reflecting back I realized what I’ve been through; how I got through; is why I am who I am today. When I was in school, my professor asked, “In ten years from now do you think that you are going to have the same belief system and values? Or, are you pretty much going to remain the same? Two of us said, “No” the majority of the class said, “Yes, the would have the same beliefs and values.” I was one of the two who said, “No.”

I know that I will value and believe some of the same things in 10 years, but I don’t think I could be the same. You get older, wiser, have more to value or a better definition of what it is and then I thought back to who I was ten years ago. That girl and this woman do not have the same values.

Apparently, I have a conviction and a strong belief in God now which I didn’t have before. I wasn’t always a Jesus Girl. The same enthusiasm I have for my faith I had in living in the world. I was a party girl searching for peace and comfort in all the wrong places and things. I was living daily anxious and frustrated, and then I tried something different. It happens we grow up, and we experience life and the seasons and looking back I have to say that through the seasons I have learned a few things that I will keep through the next ten years and hope to add more:

Season of Trust

There was a season that my family went through that we had nothing but to rely on and trust in God to get us through. When I say nothing, I mean that very literally “we had nothing.” Everything had been stripped from us along with our pride and humility.  I like to say, “we ran as far as the world could take us.” Living like the “Jones‘” left us at our rock bottom.  Only then did we begin to trust in God how we should with total and complete confidence because we didn’t have anything other option.

Looking back it was that “Fix it Jesus” mentality like, “Okay, Lord I’ve done everything that I could do. I’ve messed everything up, and I could use your help to bail me out.” Like the kind, good Father that He is He not only delivered us but that reliance and trust in Him brought my family into an intimate relationship with God. It was when we became FaithFueled.

Season of Be Still

Through God’s mercy we began to rebound, but then God started to prune another area in my temple; obedience.  God sat me down, shut me up, and through devotion, Bible study, prayer, and worship taught me to wait on God.Through much persistence, God asked me to “Be Still.” I was speaking with a good friend one day, and she said something that made me think of this season.

Before Jesus kept the 12 disciples very close to Him before He would be crucified and then send them out into the world to evangelize.  During my season of stillness, all I had was to take care of my family and dive headfirst into the Word. I studied inductively, attended Bible Study I submerged myself in the Word and learned so much about “learning the Bible.” It is now how I study daily, and I feel crucial in my daily walk with God.  I look back on those two years and remember being ungrateful for the season of rest and God continually reminding me it was but a moment.  Hindsight 20/20 because I don’t think I’d have the stamina for that season. It’s also when I was very depressed and abused food for comfort. Then I learned about prayer.

Season of Prayer

Everyone knows how to pray.  There’s all kind of prayers: rehearsed prayers you say for grace or your kids know, “fix it Jesus” prayers, “genie” prayers, and then there’s prayer.  Having an intimate conversation opening your heart to God with your gratitude and appeal. At the time, of course, I didn’t realize the power of prayer.  I knew praying was talking to God but until I started journaling, researching and doing some heavy praying; it’s all that people say and more.  Like anything you have to practice the skill often and do it often in this case-pray often or (“Pray without ceasing,” 1 Thess 5;16)

I used to be one of those people who say, I’m praying for you and honestly, didn’t always do it. Then I started reading, praying and reading more and praying more and learned. Praying for someone is the easier yet most powerful thing you can do for a person.

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:22

Now, if I say I am praying for you if I don’t do it that moment which I usually do because it only takes a moment. We waste our time on so many other things taking 2-3 minutes to pray for a friend, family, peace; strength isn’t much.  When you journal or track them and realize that God is busier than you think because He does answer.  I have a journal and a prayer box.

Boxing it all Up

My journal idea came from a friend, Antracia Mooring who writes on her blog Unfolding Words.  I adopted the approach and journal often, (not daily I’m working on that” and looking back on answered prayers is such an uplifting feeling.  Then my prayer box came from a friend and mentored introduced me to the idea of putting my prayers in a box and then giving it to God.  Well, I went through that box, and the amount of answered prayers was so confirming. All but one had been answered at the moment and some I had forgotten.  It made me appreciate my season even more.

 

I think God likes to surprise us like we want to give to do for our kids or loved ones.  We do those things for the look of excitement on their face and the joy.  When we’re blessed with an answered prayer, I don’t know about you, but I jump around dancing and singing like a child who just got a surprise.  Its unexpected out of the blue and nothing that I have expected that’s when I know, “Yep, God that was you and thank you!” I have grown in patience and intimacy with God through this season and continue to glean from it.

Season of Focus & Legacy

I am now in a season of focus it’s what was my “word” for 2016 and has carried on into 2017. With all that has fone on this year (College, Started working after 12 years of staying at home, three daughters and Prepping for my first Figure Competition). I need to remember moment by moment to focus on God first and foremost and let Him lead me through the rest. This year in prayer and different conversations and signs the word “legacy” has presented itself.  With all life busyness, I don’t have much hindsight about this season as of yet, but I have been learning some new “skills” for strengthening my focus and will probably be sharing my journey. Regardless of what season looks like; doing life with God has made it worth every trial and triumph.

“Set your eyes on the things above and not the things of this earth.” Colossians 3:2

When looking back do you see a theme to your seasons in life?

 

Original Post 1.16.17 updated

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Faith Journey faithfueled friday Family

Understanding God’s Love

Psalm 127:3 (NIV) “Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.”

He Gives Us Real-Life Examples

Sometimes, I wonder does God give us children to understand His frustrations, unconditional love, empathy, and desire for more than we want for ourselves. I can remember my mother telling me, “I can’t wait till you have children of your own.” Of course, it wasn’t until I had children of my own; I could understand her perspective.

Reminders in the Word

When reading the word, I sometimes relate to motherhood. It is something that is a part of my identity and that I can easily relate and understand. For example, my children’s selective hearing. I will tell my daughter specific instructions, at which she will do something entirely different or my favorite, nothing at all. Then, it ends up messed up, and I either have to help her or tell her again. Then by “GODcidence”, I am reading Jonah how God told him to flee Ninevah.

[“Cliff Notes” version, although Jonah is a very short yet powerful chapter in the Bible] He does his own thing deliberately disobeying God and sets out for Tarshish (for those new to the story which is thousands of miles in a different direction). Jonah ends up in the belly of a big fish (aka whale). God the Father delivers Jonah and again tells his hard headed child to go to Ninevah and deliver a message.

Jonah 3:1-2 (NIV) “Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

As I am reading this, of course, I think “man Jonah sounds like my daughters’.” There is a difference, though; our God has so much more compassion and patience than I. He is slow to anger (which I am working/praying on).

More than I deserve

Jonah 4:2, 4-5 (NIV) 2 “He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.

4 But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city.”

It even angered Jonah to think after all he had done God still provided. Even though Jonah had no right to be angry, God still provided Him shade from the sun. Just like when my twelve-year-old gets mad at me for doing what’s right for her but not the way she wanted me to. Doesn’t make me stop loving or caring for her. I am her mother, who still loves her and will always do anything to provide.I sometimes sit back thinking I am so undeserving of His grace. God reminds me of the grace and unconditional love through my girls. Comparing God’s love to a mother’s love is the only way I can make sense of His unwavering love.

None Like Him

Now, I know the story of Jonah is not about how to love your children, rather obey the Lord and to forgive everyone. Comparing it to my kids helps me gain perspective. (Since, coming back to my faith I have found several different applications of the story of Jonah.) There is no man that would give their Son for me much like how I would give up everything for my girls, (which “Godcidentally” God has given me them too). I am grateful for my Heavenly Father’s unconditional love and although sometimes I feel I am not worth it or don’t like how things are done. At the end of the day, He loves me for who I am, and that will never change.

What helps you understand God’s love?

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Family Marriage

4 Ways Praying for My Deployed Husband Helps Our Marriage

I want to introduce Elaine Sinott a devouted women of God, mother and wife.  We met through Social Media and after reading her blog Military Wife After God I knew that she needed to share on FaithFueled Mom!  February will be our Family First February month and Elaine is a great example of just that. Our military families make such a sacrifice for our freedom. I am so grateful for their services and the support of their family!

 

I recently learned through the Unveiled Wife’s devotionals Wife After God: Drawing Closer to God & Your Husband and 31 Prayers for My Husband: Seeing God Move in His Heart the extreme importance in praying for your husband. These devotionals (which I HIGHLY recommend-they truly changed my life!) taught me that praying for your husband not only has an incredible impact on him as a person but also for your marriage!

The 4 things I learned from praying for my husband daily are:

  1. It has helped me to see him through God’s eyes. Praying daily for my husband has softened my heart towards him and has helped me to let go of things in the past that have been hurtful. It has helped me to begin to see him through our Heavenly Father’s eyes meaning I am much more willing to choose love over anger and I am willing to extend grace. It has helped me to learn how to forgive, that I should be quick to forgive when I am hurt because God does that exact thing for us over and over! And it has taught me the importance of forgiveness in marriage! When you forgive your spouse, and begin to see him through God’s eyes, you learn true intimacy.
  2. It has helped my marriage significantly! Yes, believe it or not, it has made a difference in our marriage even through a deployment! Imagine the changes that can happen when your husband is next to your every day! (I cannot wait until he’s home for me to experience that feeling J) I have noticed that our conversations are much calmer, loving, and attentive towards each other throughout this deployment (probably because my anxiety has been almost non-existent since I began a relationship with our Heavenly Father!). When he is upset about something, I am more attentive to how it makes him feel and I’m less concerned about myself (something I wish I would’ve known for our last two deployments as well). When he is excited about something, I’m more attentive to why it makes him happy and I share in that joy with him! We have truly grown closer despite the 6,000 miles between us!
  3. It has taught me to RESPECT my husband! Respect for men is like the need to feel loved for women – our husbands need respect to thrive! They need it to be happy in life, every day. When a man is not respected, resentment builds and it will be difficult for him to be in tune you’re your needs. What does respecting your husband mean? It means letting go of the sarcastic comments. It means letting go of the things you think he is doing “wrong” if he isn’t doing them your way (my mistake there-correcting him too many times when taking care of the kids!) It means listening to him. It means trusting in his decisions and supporting him. It means not gossiping about your husband. You are your husband’s partner in life and he is yours – your job is to build each other up, not tear each other down. I have learned how to truly respect my husband with my words and my actions and it has made a world of a difference in our marriage.
  4. It has taught me to become more intimate with him! Intimacy is often thought of as a sexual thing but intimacy actually means “making yourself known.” Praying daily for my husband has taught me to step out of my comfort zone and talk to him about things we never used to talk about enough, like God and our feelings. We talked a little about them but after becoming closer to God this past fall for the first time in my life, I have learned a whole new level of communication with my husband and it’s been AWESOME! We don’t hold anything back, there are no questions about anything. We’re honest and open with each other about every little thing. Communication is ridiculously important in a military marriage especially, as you can imagine, because that is all we have for months at a time. This whole new level of intimacy with my husband has been the start of something beautiful! Prayer has such power – you won’t realize it until you try!

Being your husband’s wife, your prayers for him are the most powerful. God wants nothing more than for your marriage to be centered around Him. And He promises when two or more gather in His name, He is there with you! What a beautiful and comforting promise our Heavenly Father makes!

One of the most intimate acts you can ever do with your husband is pray WITH him! Sit in your bed together at night before falling asleep, hold hands, and talk to God. Ask Him to bless your marriage – to let His will be done through it! Pray aloud for your husband, ask God to protect him emotionally, spiritually, physically, and mentally every day. Ask God to help your husband fulfill his duty of being a leader in Christ for you and your family. Ask Him to help your husband be the warrior in Christ he was created to be. And ask God to help you become to wife you want him to be – for you to love your husband the way God wants you to love him and to always forgive and love without conditions.

Praying for your husband can move mountains in your marriage. It can bring healing, understanding, forgiveness, love, security, compassion, kindness, gentleness, joy, and so much more. When you pray for your husband, you invite God into your marriage and, when God is the foundation of your marriage, you and your husband can conquer anything the world throws your way!

Meet Elaine

Elaine Sinnott is a military wife to Luke of 5 years, a mommy to 4 beautiful little boys, and a daughter of God, eager to learn and share what she learns about God’s purpose for marriage! She also wants to help the military wives out there know that they’re never truly alone when the lifestyle seems that way – that God is always with them! She credits the devotional Wife After God: Drawing Closer to God & Your Husband by Jennifer Smith (@UnveiledWife) for changing her life and saving her marriage.

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Faith Journey

Finally Listening

FaithFueled Friday

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me

Not alone

Last year, I had a dinner with women from different Christian denomination and social, cultural backgrounds, we discussed a variety of things but the but the topic of God speaking to the women. Each woman was in different milestones of their faith journey.  Some for decades others (or maybe just me) were only a few years, but each interaction with God was personal and specific. God didn’t speak with each of us the same way; the method was all different event the tone. I being one of the newbies (not walking in the Lord as long as the other women), was fascinated.  I wasn’t the only one who thought I heard God.

Not the First Time

This wasn’t my first time being aware of God communicating to me.  Early in my faith journey, women in my bible study I would talk about it, and it made me think of my experiences. Until that dinner, I only had three divine communications of God speaking to me. As I thought about it more, God is directing me almost daily. Now that I have been truly listening to Him I am finding that He is answering my prayers and guiding me, I just haven’t been listening because my mind has been clutter with other things.

IFGatheringSept

 

John 8:47 (ESV) Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”

Discovering what was always there

I find it funny because the years I was lost in the world and trials would come I would go to prayer. Some would consider that good but the only time I would pray is when things went wrong. My relationship with God was not a daily conversation admiring and praising His work, praying for others and sometimes my request. I was placing my order on how I wanted Him to fix my life. Only calling on him when I needed or wanted something and was in complete desperation. Even then when I had no adoration, God was still leading and guiding me. Whispering just small enough for me to hear but I wasn’t interested and never paid attention.

Guidance I can use
Now the advice is different; it’s not conversational, but I am hearing Him more and more, and I don’t know because I am listening more or because our relationship has grown that He speaks to me more. It makes me think, has he been there all along? When I ask Him to have discernment, to make right decisions, to honor and serve Him, is He now answering? Has He been the entire time, right there as I ignored Him, still not sure and no, he hasn’t told me? Like I said, I am not having full out conversations with God. I am deep in prayer more often these days than I used to be, and I am in the Word daily, but I am not sitting around sipping tea and chatting with God.

 

listening

Acts 22:14 (ESV) And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth;

How do I hear God?

Before I was consciously seeking His voice, God would have to shout at me to get my attention. Like a mother, warning their child from danger. (Sometimes He still does, but I am getting better). As of lately, He can just talk to me. Do I hear voices? Yes, but it’s consistently the same voice every time, so I hear a voice. It’s usually different from my inner thoughts, often interrupting my on-going unceasing mental to-do list and very efficient and to the point. It’s never been a lengthy explanation more like wisely commanding (and not to do bad things usually directional so I have ruled it out as insanity.) This post is also not a confession of my speculation of some mental illness. I feel like it is God answering my prayers and guiding me.

For months, I kept hearing the same thing during my usual ongoing mind chatter of daily to-do’s; “be still.” Although I would hear it, I intentionally would ignore it for nine months until I was forced to be still. Life circumstances kicked my legs from underneath me and sat me down for a few months. Every time I would get up I’d get knocked back down until I realized, “maybe I should be still.” That’s where I began to get to the place I am today. Staying in God’s word, eliminating outside noise (not all of it that is a daily struggle) and being conscious of God’s direction. (Which I am still trying to “Be still” and again getting better at it but still have not mastered it.)

How often do I hear Him?

Hebrews 2:1 (ESV) Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

Now, I hear him more frequently and sometimes it is nice because it gives me and idea of what to do next, how to handle a situation and then sometimes it’s not so helpful because it can be something that I do not want to do. His shouting is less often, and my obedience is getting better, but this ongoing relationship is not completely perfected. I think God’s okay with that (although he hasn’t told me) but He loves me unconditional and has the patience of grace like no other, and I am grateful for that.

How does God lead you in situations? Signs, clues, words, inspiration? It’s fascinating how he communicates to each of us differently.

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