Another Love Story

Another love story of two rather common characters.

Not very long ago in a faraway land lived a girl, who, much like any other, liked dreaming of other faraway lands, finding books long enough to meet her fancy and putting inordinate amounts of cream in her coffee. One day she was intrigued by a dashing blue-eyed fellow; though she thought him to be rather nosy.

Then this particular fellow moved to The Ridiculously Humid country and stared a computer monitor, for a whole year, filling his mind with the great and wondrous facts of medicine. Let this be known to you, that while medicine was on his mind; the girl was on his heart. And if he dare forget, he was a video chat away from remembering.

He traversed land and sea to visit again and entreated the girl of life-long commitment. She was thrilled and the plan-making began. Many months later, much to their wild joy, God showed them married love.

After all the festivities and such, here we are in his parent’s basement.

I do believe this story has great potential.

The Wonder of the Wait

Are we waiting on God or is God waiting on us? or with us? Waiting is frustrating. My husband and I can make plans to start his clinical rotations once a particularly wonderful individual in a scheduling office does their job. However, we are not waiting as if God is late to an appointment and He is in the way of progress. God has us in an holding pattern and I know well enough I always need more faith, more patience, more breaking my will and seeing His.  It is the Divine liberty to frustrate plans.

"God's sense of timing will confound ours... Jesus in effect says (to Jairus) 'I will not be hurried because I love you. I know what I'm doing. And if you try to impose your understanding of schedule on Me, you will struggle to feel loved by Me.'" (Timothy Keller, "King's Cross").

Daniel saw "the Ancient of days (sit down...and) thousand thousands ministered unto Him" (Daniel 7: 9-10). How do we standby and minister to God? I don't suppose He needs His slippers brought to Him. Are we truly capable of refreshing God's Spirit? Somehow, Omnipotent God lets us do Him service.

If you want something done right, do it yourself, or "One is never served so well as by oneself" (Charles-Guillaume Etienne). That is the motto of me, the impatient human. In contrast, it is the glory of God to be long-suffering with our inferior service. Because of His patience we have opportunity to wait on Him, and somehow, it glorifies Him! The greatest measure of our devotion is obedience, even and especially in waiting. We can wait near His throne, available to do whatever His heart desires. "How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You. Selah" ( Psalm 84:4). Real contentment is in a life awed by God.

"'And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You.' Deliver me from all my transgressions..." (Psalm 39:7-8).

The Mercy of Suffering

Graying blue clouds blow across the sky and I inhale a steamy breath of rain, thunder and flickering light. And all I do is stand, grinning to God with rain splatting pearly wet on arms and lifted face. Grace like rain…and is it not the grace of God that rains on our parade to bring us in under the Tree of Life?

It has been said "Christ’s suffering was for propitiation and our sufferings with Him the propagation" (Joseph Tson). This suffering is deeply painful, and in this deep sorrow we feel how infinitely more must be this weight of glory in the Father! We squirm with the package of suffering, but to receive it gratefully we gasp supreme joy! And God’s faithfulness proves richest for us in the fire of suffering.