waiting

It is hard for me to pin point my favorite scripture. I have many favorites for various situations. It also seems silly to pick a favorite because all scripture is God-breathed and should be an inspiration to us.

One of the reasons I am excited to share favorite passages of scripture with you on Sundays is that I don’t have to narrow it down to one. I am curious to see what scriptures I will share with you each week.

Today’s comes from Psalms, and in fact, many of them could very well come from the Psalms. I find great comfort in the Psalms when I am troubled or weary. This particular verse has significance from two different occasions in my life. I will share the first with you today.

It was June of 2007. We had made the decision for my husband to attend Seminary to pursue a D.M.A in Piano Performance. Our house was for sale and had been on the market for a while. I was becoming discouraged. During this time I had just started reading through the psalms. On the evening of June 21, I was reading Psalm 5. When I got to verse 3, the words really sank in. In the morning, O Lord, you will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.

I underlined the verse and made it my prayer. I put all the stress of selling the house in God’s hands and just simply said to Him, In the morning I will wait for you.

The next day we received an offer on our house! That was a goose-bump moment. I wrote a note in the margin beside the verse I’d underlined – “God is faithful”. And he is. So Faithful. He prepared me the night before by directing me to this passage and then he faithfully answered my prayer the next morning. It increased my faith and taught me a lesson I knew in Theory, but sometimes struggled to practice.

God always has a plan. We just need to remember that it is His plan and eagerly watch. Now that my husband has graduated with his D.M.A. and we find ourselves in transition while he searches for a job, I need this reminder that God is faithful. He always has a plan. In the morning I will order my prayer to Him and eagerly watch. Tonight, I will rest knowing that he has the future covered and in His time it will be made known.

Update on 10/8/13 – I am linking up here with other Bloggers sharing Sacro Speco (Sacred Space). Thanks to Sarah from All Manner of Inspiration for hosting. You can also check out her 31 Day series here. She too is writing about favorites. A great topic!

Eagerly watching in grace,

Teresa

“Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me;
The carriage held but just ourselves
And Immortality. ” Emily Dickinson

We live our lives in fragmented pieces and unfinished sentences. We struggle to be what we think we are supposed to be – what we think others expect of us. We listen to the cacophony of voices around us clamoring to be heard and forget to stop and listen for the one, still voice that matters.

Some die too young while they’re right in the middle of the clamor, and they leave other’s to figure out the pieces of their lives. I believe if they could come back they would tell us to forget the pieces, forget the chaos, forget expectations of others. Instead, they would tell us to slow down, let the sentences be finished. Listen to the one who knows us best.

Soul living begins with listening to the still voice in the quiet of our heart. It requires a down slowing and an attitude of waiting, of clinging to the good and settling into peace. Making room for love and living. Realizing that living your faith, making time for others, savoring the everyday is far better than existing to chase a dream that you can’t take with you.

Since the first of the year, it seems that we have had one funeral home visitation upon another. A couple of these were men who died too young. Both my age, one in a car accident and one in his sleep. Both Christian men who loved their families. Seeing them in pictures with their families and hearing others speak about them was a testimony of lives well lived. Lives that made room for love and living.

Death is no respecter of age, and it will come to all. When my time comes, I want those left behind to be able to say that I listened to the Still Voice, that I settled into the Peace that only he can give. I want them to see the finished sentences. I want them to know they were loved by my living.