Thursday, June 3, 2010

Wait and Rest for What's to Come

From Kathleen Norris citing the Book of Common Prayer:
"This is another day, O Lord. I know not what it will bring forth, but make me ready, Lord, for whatever it may be. If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently. And if I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly. Make these words more than words, and give me the Spirit of Jesus. Amen."


Ask me who I want to write like, and Kathleen Norris will be the answer (along with Anne Lamott and Donald Miller)
Here, her words remind me to live daily, where the Lord has placed me, to do what he has asked me to do for the day. No more. No less.
The line "If I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly," sticks out greatly to me. I am reminded that in this space of waiting, I must wait, sit, be still, and rest. The idea of doing nothing should be the easiest thing in the world. Instead, it is one of the hardest.
I went to a Memorial Day picnic at my pastor's house. He asked me how it was being back and "is it hard to sit still for a while?"
"Harder than it's ever been in my life," was my reply. Then I had to walk away and grill my turkey dogs to keep from choking up.
But, as the Alissa from Barlow Girl says in the video I posted a few days ago, "If you're going through a difficult season, keep going, because it means something is about to come."
Waiting is not a season of permanence. It is a state of refining, and when I chose to trust and believe in the ultimate goodness of God, it is meant to be a season of rest. A time to be filled and built up and changed further into the woman God has called and is calling me to me.
So I wait. And I trust. And I hope expectantly for the time "to come."

2 comments:

  1. OMG I was single for 2 whole months recently and I really thought the whole time that I couldn't do it. Now today it seemed so short a time.So when you get to where your going your wait will feel like only a second, just a snapshot in time .

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  2. Thanks. It's good to know it won't always feel like I'm waiting. :)

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