I wasn’t feeling good last Sunday at church and ended up leaving early. I rested on Monday and got a facial on Tuesday (thank you for the Christmas present, Tony!). That was awesome! And I was excited about the coming week.
I woke up on Wednesday feeling “not myself”. Fast forward to later in the day. A fun lunch with a friend. A stop by the office to sign some paperwork and all of a sudden, I really wasn’t feeling well. A reluctant Kathy soon found herself in the passenger section of an ambulance on the way to the hospital. I came home that night and I’m having outpatient tests. And I’m definitely feeling more like myself. 🙂
A pause here to say that I am very thankful for our friends who jumped into action as things were happening, who stepped in and handled the details of the day for us, who prayed for us and checked in with us. We are very blessed. 🙂
All of that backstory to say this - when we find ourselves in a “waiting room” - whether literally or figuratively - it can be a scary and frustrating place. I went from a relaxing facial on Tuesday to a cold ambulance and loud MRI machine on Wednesday. And when we go from a place of peace and confidence to a place of surprise and uncertainty, we can start to question things: Did we do something to cause this? If we are afraid, does that demonstrate a lack of faith? Are we being punished?
Finding joy in the “waiting” room is not always easy. It can be exhausting. It takes some extra faith muscle, and we have to lean into what we know to be true - God. He is never unstable or uncertain. He is a solid rock. He loves us and has a plan for us. This isn’t a surprise to Him, and He will use it for good.
I read the quote below early this morning and while it may not seem joyful at first glance - it is! Read it again and again and let those words sink in!
“He is the same God at the sunny apex of the mountain as He is in the foggy, mucky valley. His goodness is not shaken because our circumstances seem gray. Words like “never” or “impossible” hold no power over Him. He sees our wounds and our hopes and our fears and our needs. He reigns, still absolutely sovereign, as we sit in the waiting room of life.” - Jess Connell
We can trust Him. Even when we are waiting.
