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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.

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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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Growing Faith Muscles

 

FaithFueled Friday

Changing old habits

When I first came back to Christ, I was a stressed, worried mess. I worried about everything I had no control over, (which is everything) making myself physically sick. It may even have been the cause of me losing one of my twins in my last pregnancy. I would go over scenarios over and over again in my mind, making things worse each time. Then, after speaking with an excellent friend and mentor about my constant anxiety; She suggested a “God Box.” A “God box” is to place all my worries. First, I would write down my issues, pray, and then deposit it in the box. Anytime I began to worry, or what she likes to call “mentally masturbate” (that’s why I love her so) I would look at my box and acknowledge that I had already given it to God.

Matthew 6:34 (NIV) 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Growing Faith Muscles

This small gesture brought me great peace. At the time it was hard for me to trust completely in the Lord. I still sometimes struggle with this. In the world, you are so used to leaning on yourself for solutions when problems arise. In Christ, He will carry your burdens (Who does that? Not your fellow man!) which are something I am not used too. Breaking old habits is hard. Being a child of God, is just that, a child where you must learn new skills.

Matthew 11:28 (NIV) “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

Pumping My Muscles

Faith, Grace, and Mercy seem to be a like a muscle you need to grow; You must continually exercise it to see results. My friend’s suggestion of a “God Box”, which I now call my “prayer box” was exactly what I needed to increase my faith and truly understand God’s grace. Constructing my first box was simple. I took a tissue box covered it in shimmery paper and cut a hole in the top. All my worries were placed in it. I would still worry; it wasn’t an instant fix, but instead of continually going over the scenarios the box reminded me to pray.

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

 

GrowingYourFaithMuscle

Seeing Results

Eventually, my stomach subsided, things began to get better, prayers were being answered, and I wasn’t worrying.  Months went by, and I continued to exercise my new coping mechanism. One day, in the midst of prayer, God told me to open the box.  First, I didn’t realize how much stuff I worried about.  Secondly, I didn’t know how many prayers God had answered in less than three months.  His grace and mercy brought to fruition in my life.  Rewind two years later, prayer (and of course God) has changed my life, health, and stress.  I still break out the box when I need to release my burdens. I also use it to praise Him when I open it up to see all the things that he has done for me. If only I knew of His sovereignty sooner (not just in theory but actual application) in my adult life.

GrowingYourFaithMuscle.

How do you handle your stress? How do you strengthen your faith?

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Self

What About Me (time)?

 

FaithFueled Friday

1 Timothy 4:8
For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

As a Mom of three little diva’s (Divine, Inspirational, Virtuous, Anointed). I find that daily “Me” time with the Lord is essential to raising them, but short little momcation is a bonus. I used to fill every aspect of the day to managing my household. My only break would be a few necessary bathroom breaks, a quick shower or maybe five hours of sleep that I would get each night. That would leave me spent, stressed, resentful and often a “not nice” mommy often.

Mommy time

My middle daughter often says “What-about-me;” it’s one word for her. Anytime her sister gets something, does something, or goes somewhere; My Lailah pipes up, “Whataboutme?”. During a particular day, where many prayers of patience and wisdom were said, it dawned on me. “Whataboutme”? When do I get me time? What would I do with it? What do I need from it? I need some peace, serenity, clarity and sometimes guidance in my life. Where can I find that for free (therapy is not cheap)? Time with God.

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

After rearranging my days, waking up a little earlier. I now start my day off devoting to the Lord for 30 minutes, if I am lucky an hour. The results are amazing. I began reading a chapter of Proverbs and reflecting. Then, I started buying women’s book Bible studies and doing those. Then I graduated to inductively studying books of the Bible. Every morning I retreat to my space on my back porch early in the morning when it’s just me and the birds chirping. There I get exclusive “Me” time with my Father. Pure soul contentedness when I take the time to devote with Jesus gives me the peace the I need to overcome the daily annoyance of mommyhood.

Mommy.time

Psalm 95:6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;

We are taught to spend time in our Bible daily, but when I devote for 30 minutes in the morning somehow, it gives me the tools to use later that day. Sometimes it is exactly what I need other times it is exactly what I am going to need.

2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his glory and goodness.

Now, I don’t feel so warned down, short tempered I can show people and especially my children in the most pivotal moments. I feel like I am a priority in my families life even though sometimes they don’t express their appreciation because I know I am a child of God’s and His priority. That 30 minutes a day fills me up so I can tackle the next 16 hours of hard labor as a little diva’s household manager.

There are still days I am holding on by a prayer (because divas’ can be divas sometimes). Stressful days are less frequent, and I now can show grace. Each morning I am reminded of His grace.

I can show unconditional love and patience with my husband because of the unconditional love and patience God shows my family and me every day. All because I give myself a little me time every day. I feel when honoring your temple it doesn’t mean just to eat right and physical activity. It’s also your mind and your spirit which is an important part of who you are. Those things need nurturing and exercise too.

Mommy.time

Colossians 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

How do you deal with parenthood stress? Do you get me time and how do you like to spend it?

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Modesty doesn’t define faith

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“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” Matthew 5:13

This is typically not the Bible verse used when discussing the way Christian women should dress. I think that since we are representing ourselves within society that it could appropriately be considered as part of what God calls us to do. He appointed us to be the means of preventing or curing the growth of that corruption which prevails in the world, and of seasoning people’s minds with wisdom and grace.* Typically, when discussing the way women should dress;
1 Timothy 2:9-10 (NIV) 9 I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, 10 but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

I could go on and on about how literal some people take this verse without doing their research. Paul the apostle, had no problem with jewelry or dressing nicely. He was referring to women dressing like the non believing women of his time and how they dressed, more specifically Roman women of the time. 

I grew up in a very legalistic religion that had a doctrine for all the different facets of life. It took this verse by verbatim to define the way women should dress.  When I became a young adult I left my faith for a variety of reasons.  As a rebellion my modesty was one of the first identities of the world that I adorned.  I got my ears pierced and would wear obnoxiously large Cubic Zirconia that sparkled from miles away.  Plastered my face with way to much makeup (one thing was because I could; The other, I did not know how to properly apply it.) I bought midriff, form fitting, low cut tops; (that was the criteria: must be form fitting, low cut, midriffs.) Way to short, shorts and skirts. Now that I have been born again, I have a yearning to represent Christ.  A struggle I have is finding a suitable definition of modesty.

1 Corinthians 12:23 (NIV)  and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty,

Modesty

I was raised that to be modest you need to be covered from your neck to your ankle, preferably in a skirt; (definitely when attending church) but not required. Makeup, jewelry, and fancy hairstyles were not acceptable or appropriate.  That lead me to do research of a new definition of modesty. In the last week, I have read conservative to liberal Christian perspectives. Observing other Christians, people in my church and leaders as well as celebrity public Christian personalities.  Then, I had a conversation with a sister in Christ on the issue of bathing suits at the beach, which led me to this post. After reading some strong opinions and fear based views. I turned to the source the Bible and Bible commentaries. I have a definition of what my family and I will teach my three daughters as being modest or representing Christ.

Godly women can be fashionable and attractive and I don’t mean sexually attractive. I mean the dictionaries definition of having beneficial qualities or features that induce someone to accept what is being offered. What is being offered in our case is the truth of Christ. This doesn’t mean that we should be dress for other peoples approval. That we are not sloppy or frumpy and take care of our appearance. I do believe modesty is something which families need to take a very close, careful, prayerful look at for themselves.  Then determine to be a woman after God’s own heart and what that would outwardly look like to represent their inward beliefs. “Your clothing should be tight enough to show that you’re a woman, but loose enough to show that you’re a lady!”

Even if you dress the part doesn’t mean that you have a corner on truth. It’s possible to have a modest outward appearance while having the immodest heart of (critical, self-righteous, and judgmental towards those who do not see things the way you do).

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1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV) Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

Showing grace to everyone no matter what they appear to look like. Whether, you are wearing tank tops, shorts, skirts, dresses, and a bathing suit. Yes, my daughter wear bathing suits, to the pool or beach, I just don’t feel a bikini is essential to them becoming faster swimmers. Respect your body, your family and most important honor God in all that you do including what you wear.

Do you feel that modesty has an effect on your faith?

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