With a house full of family, it was nice to wake each morning to a few minutes with coffee and reading. December has been a most meaningful month. Advent brought a time to slow down a bit, even writing those words seems odd.
December brings its own sort of busyness and yet, in the midst of it all, it has felt like a slower month or maybe a slower pace. The Christmas Eve service ushered in special and gentle moments of its own, a fresh awareness of Immanuel – God with us – in ALL things, for all time.
Standing in a circle, our Advent candles lit, softly singing Christmas carols – it hit me.
Advent – the time we want and the time we wait.
Our thoughts turn towards Advent with the turning of the calendar page to December 1st. Our list of wants begin as we are asked the question a myriad of times, “What would you like for Christmas?” Children unabashedly write their lists, naming each desired toy. And the wait begins.
The month of waiting and reflection passed and I realize the question which had been before me, hidden and buried and unspoken …
What happens when God doesn’t grant me my request?
How will I handle the disappointment?
The verses have been in front of me for some time. Recently they began to speak to my heart like a balm, bringing both assurance and comfort.
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for what he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7, NLT)
The truth began to sink in, uprooting the disappointment which had tried to settle into the soil of my heart …
We are to be thankful for ALL He has done.
God may not answer every request in the way we would like or expect. But God, in His wisdom and love for each of us, works in our lives according to His perfect plan and as needed. All situations are to be the instruments He uses to encourage and grow us in our faith as He challenges areas where disappointment may lie hidden.
We bring our needs and requests before Him. We thank Him for what He has already done in our lives. With hearts full of gratitude for His peace, comfort, and presence, we are content to wait on Him with a confident trust that He is in all things.
In the above Scriptures from Philippians, I discovered three truths:
- We are to be content even while we want.
- We are to trust even as we wait.
- We are to be thankful for that which He gives, and for that which He withholds.
Thank God for what He has done.
Then we will experience God’s peace.
Today I am joining … Trekking Thru the Week .
Waiting and not knowing are hard, thanks for these powerful truth reminders!!
Very hard. Yet as we wait with contentment, trust Him, and experience gratitude each day, He fills us with His peace.
What I learned in my own season of waiting is God listens to our laments. He knows we struggle and when we turn to Him honestly He indeed does give His peace. Praying you feel His peace guarding your heart and mind as you seek Him.
I absolutely have His peace and am most grateful for the way He patiently teaches me.
Hi Joanne, I love that our God is a personal and intimate God. That He listens. Psalm 116:2 says Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath. What a beautiful picture! Our Lord, bending down from the throne of heaven to listen to me!!
Char, that is such a favorite verse of mine. It is most humbling to think of God bending to listen to us.