Tuesday, April 5, 2011

God's Whispers Over Honey on my Biscuit

The honey came so slowly from it's little plastic container. The hot biscuit steamed, the melting butter teased me  --- my mouth watered. But the honey was in no hurry at all. Steve, my husband, laughed at my dilemma and commented on the reality of life we can see even in the slow but steady flow of honey. And I pondered it as I waited...
Waiting ---- when we are in God's hands --- so often the word w-a-i-t is like an umbrella covering us isn't it?
If we refuse to wait --- if the "umbrella" is removed because we will not hesitate and remain under it --- then "less" is ours (we get soaked from the rain) -- and the "more" that could have been is missed (a dry walk in the midst of a deluge).

I could have opted to quickly squeeze a packet of grape jelly on my wonderful, warm biscuit. After all, grape jelly is yummy as well. But Steve and I enjoyed hearing God in the lesson over our biscuits. The jelly would still taste good --- and it would certainly come more quickly. Golly - I could have already had two good bites in my mouth in the time it took for the golden honey to begin it's slow progress towards my biscuit. But then I would have been settling. The honey may be slow --- but without question, it is the healthier choice. It is fully natural -- the grape jelly is not. My body will respond in healthy ways to the honey. And while I might enjoy the grape jelly --- it would bring nothing healthy with it.
(I know - you laugh at me - choosing "healthy" honey over "unhealthy" jelly --- for my VERY unhealthy buttered biscuit --- I'm laughing at myself too.)

Still - even in the goofy, silliness of my world --- my good, good God speaks to me. Yes -- even --- over a biscuit.
And so --- to have the healthy, good honey --- to choose the "good part" --- to receive the best of the choices given  ----  I must w-a-i-t.

It's a beautiful thing the way God uses the time encapsulated in our waiting.

For, "He knows the plans He has for us... they will bring us hope... a future". Jeremiah 29:11

I've thought on this much of late --- and stuttered at trying to put it into words. But God has kindly reminded me, that He too waits --- but He never wastes the time while waiting.

God is at work in the "wait" --- working to prepare the way for our walk of faith, waiting to see if we will trust Him, obey Him, surrender to Him --- put our hand in His -- fully. He, Jehovah, waits to see, if we will again insist on our own way, or if we will give ourselves over to Him and wrap ourselves in His robe. He wonders --- "must it look the way you want it to, or this time, will you allow it to be the way I choose for you?"

God holds Himself back from coming to take us home ---- as He waits for the souls who have not yet come to know Him. He longs for them - His love is beautiful -- He waits.

To ponder on this -- causes me to love Him more deeply. For in the transforming work of becoming more like our Christ, our Father asks us only to do what He Himself is doing.

To remember this --- is to realize His holiness in the waiting.
Holiness is too easily lost in humanness. Therefore, we must choose to remember.
To choose to remove our focus from our frustration in the waiting - and instead put our focus on the Holiness of His waiting. John 3:30 To increase Him and decrease me -- by choice.

So may we wait for the golden honey's unhurried pace,
----wait for the transformational work,
----wait and prepare to receive what is being birthed in the waiting.
May we wait patiently --- in, on, and with the Lord.

"Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;
   therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the LORD is a God of justice.
   Blessed are all who wait for him"

Isaiah 30:18 (NIV)


"But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always."
Hosea 12:6

"But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me."
Micah 7:7

"For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed."
Romans 8:19


"And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised."
Hebrews 6:15

"...and since that time He waits for His enemies to be made his footstool."
Hebrews 10:13

Photo taken by Maggie

3 comments:

  1. oh my, how beautiful this reflection is and how it spoke to my heart.

    first, i loved this statement you penned that i can imagine my Father saying to me:

    "must it look the way you want it to, or, this time, will you allow it to be the way I choose for you?"

    i want to relinquish my need for it to look the way i want it to (and had the opportunity just 2 days ago to practice this before i read this!), yet i struggle so to realize that this is what i'm doing in the midst of the emotion of waiting.

    i also loved that my waiting is really only doing what GOD HIMSELF is doing on my behalf, for my transformation, for the salvation of others! that really helps.

    keep writing, friend.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love the music you've added! I always love reading your posts - thank you so much!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you so much for your comments Jenn and Becca. I LOVE sharing the journey with you, while we're still this side of Heaven. How sweet it is to know -- we'll share time together on the other side as well. love you both!

    ReplyDelete