Watch and Wait by Mary Folkerts

 

Is it just me, or has waiting gotten harder as the expectations of instant gratification have become the norm? 

We get annoyed when our Amazon Prime packages don’t arrive within 1-2 business days, when not long ago, we were thankful when things arrived within weeks. We love all our instant messaging, instant puddings, and instant answers, thanks to Google.

How can we practice waiting on God in this fast-paced world? I expect the only way is to slow down to a pace where we can hear his promises, trust his heart of love, and realize that his timelines are not arbitrary, even when we don’t understand them.

We are a generation 

in a “hurry epidemic.”

We rush and scurry

from the moment we reluctantly 

leave our dreams 

on our pillows.

It’s us against the hands 

of time, ticking

with the quickened

rhythm in our chest.

We’re late,

don’t be late,

it’s so late—

where did time go?

                 Running to catch up

       driving too fast,

Scrambling after time lost. 

Productivity

deadlines

target dates

                exhaustion building

      failure looming

we need a cure. 

When did we lose

the art of slow? 

Of sitting long,

breathing deep?

Of making moments

stretch, and laughter

linger?

Of watching for miracles

in expectation,

not bound by time

but fully present

to the now?

We must not be 

too busy 

to slow,

to still 

and wait

for the holy.

It is most certain

that God’s time frames

and agendas, 

appointments and 

itineraries 

are structured with a 

framework that far 

exceeds our

                imagination 

         for He is never 

slow 

His timing is perfect

(how could it not be?)

even when we think

we have waited 

too long. 

The wait must have

a Godly purpose

to refine us and

grow us. 

And so let us learn to 

                 wait—

         wait on Him 

and watch. 

And just maybe 

to be still

as He asks of us.

Because miracles 

of becoming

happen in the 

waiting. 

Mary Folkerts is mom to four kids and wife to a farmer, living on the southern prairies of Alberta, where the skies are large and the sunsets stunning. She is a Proverbs 31 ministries COMPEL Writers Training member involved in church ministries and music. Mary’s blog aims to encourage and inspire women and advocate for those with Down Syndrome, as their youngest child introduced them to this extraordinary new world. For more inspiration, check out Joy in the Small Things https://maryfolkerts.com/  or connect on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/maryfolkerts/