Day 3: Worth the Wait

Hey Mom! We Made It!

It feels like a long awaited family reunion. You're driving with your family, you’re tired and want to lay in bed, but you know the prize at the end – to be reunited with your family. That’s kind of what today felt like. 

After 48 full hours of travel, there are moments during these long flights and waiting times when I think, “Why do I like traveling again?” I hate waiting! Patience is not my strong suit. Buuuut the Lord has been teaching me about waiting recently. 

Waiting has always felt like a negative thing to me – almost like a punishment. Like really, does anyone like to wait?! “How much longgerrrr?” “What’s coming next?” “I don’t understand why I am not getting what I want, right now!”

If I could have just snapped my fingers and suddenly arrived in Mozambique, I probably would have. Seems easier, right? But I would have missed so much. I would miss the sweet times of laughter playing games together. I would miss hearing the stories of people on our team I didn’t fully know. I would have missed all of Ada’s jokes, stories from Valmir’s travels, and trying Vegemite for the first time (hm… it was interesting…).

Not only would I have missed out on those things, but the waiting made the reunion with our family here even more sweet. To see Pastor Maulido, Pastor Benedito, Pastor Ezekial, and Raul after 2 years and watch our groups mesh as if no time has passed – the wait was worth it for this celebration!

Isn’t life a little like this? Didn’t I tell you I HATE waiting? “God, what are you doing? What did I do wrong? I’m scared! Is this ever going to end?” David asks some similar questions – “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” (Psalm 13)

I also realized that the Bible talks about waiting, and it doesn’t refer to it in a bad way. Waiting actually comes with blessing. “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” (Lam. 3:25-26) “...but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength…” (Isaiah 40).

There is a sweetness to the waiting that reminds us to cling to Jesus. I haven’t felt His nearness in the same way I have in the valley of waiting and unknown. Isn’t He kind to meet us there? And then the prize – our sweet reunion with Him! The promises all brought forth in fulfillment!

So the wait is worth it. And now as we prepare for these 10 or so days of ministry in Mozambique, we will indeed do a lot of waiting. And there are unknowns as we don’t know exactly all the things that will come before us. BUT this I know for sure – that God is good to those who wait on Him! So Lord, we are ready to worship You in and through the waiting!