Waiting...

Waiting, waiting, waiting. We are waiting for Lively to come! Even though I have yet to pass my due date, Jimmy and I are anxiously hoping the arrival of our daughter is just around the corner. Part of the reason we are hoping she will come soon is so Jimmy will have more time with her before he begins traveling again. He can only take so much time off the road. So the sooner she gets here, the longer we can enjoy her before our life picks up the pace again!

Waiting on something we really want is so natural. We are always keeping our eye out for it, always looking for it, and always aware of the absence of the thing we long for. Currently, I am looking out for signs of labor and very aware of my lack of contractions. Other times in my life I have been waiting to graduate, waiting to meet the right guy, waiting to get out a hard situation, or simply waiting for some major event I was looking forward to.

Every season of waiting has now become a reminder to me of what I need to be waiting on above all else... God! The Bible has so much to say about waiting, especially in the Psalms, but it is a specific kind of waiting. It isn't talking about waiting on just anything, but waiting in scripture is always in reference to waiting on God. There are so many promises for those who wait on Him! Here are some of my favorite verses on waiting on God:

"No one who waits upon the Lord will ever be ashamed." Psalm 25:3 "Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield." Psalm 33:20 "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him." Psalm 37:7 "I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry." Psalm 40:1 "My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken." Psalm 62:5-6

My heart first and foremost should be inclined to look for my God today, not for contractions. I should be more aware of my desire for Him than my desire to go into labor. I don't think it is at all bad to look forward to and long for labor. It is good for me to be excited for our baby to be here!! But greater than my excitement for Lively must be my excitement for my first love, Jesus. He alone is the satisfier of my soul, my hope, my salvation, my rock and stronghold, my help and shield. If I lose sight of Him in my excitement about our daughter or anything else, my life becomes out of order. It is only when God is my first priority and greatest joy that I find the ability in Him to live my life in a way that has eternal and lasting value.

So today I am waiting... waiting on our daughter to arrive. And I am thankful that my waiting on her reminds me to keep heart set upon the Lord and wait for Him above all else. I am keeping my eyes alert for God's movement in my life today and keeping my ears open for what He might say to me today. I look to Him and wait for Him today!