There’s a magnetic notepad and pen hanging on my refrigerator. One morning as we were somewhat frantically making breakfasts and packing lunches, my 7-year-old daughter said she thought the notepad would be a good place to list what she wants me to get from the grocery.
Hello, independence. Have I told you I love this age? And, um, she wins for being the first member of my family to want to invest in the grocery list. {Sorry, husband of a dozen years …}
So she wrote down “bagles” and “cream chees” – I told you, she’s 7. We had finished what we had of those two items that morning and she figured they needed to be replaced.
We went about our morning. I honestly didn’t think about the list as I went about my day because I wasn’t meal planning or grocery shopping that day. I figured I’d consult the list another day. When Cate got home from school that afternoon, she wanted to talk about the list.
“So did you get the bagels and cream cheese? You know I want the white cream cheese and not the pink one?”
“Yes, I know you like the white better. But I haven’t been to the grocery store yet.”
She seemed disappointed in me. “But we’re out of those things,” she said.
I started to explain instant gratification – and why we don’t need to live like that. Bagels and cream cheese don’t require a special trip to the grocery. They’re on the list. I’ll get them when I’m there next.
I think I was fairly convincing. She seemed to understand. It wasn’t long before she added other things to the list. {Another point for helping! Not that we actually keep score around here …}
And then I caught myself doing the same thing – with Amazon.com, because, hello, epitome of {nearly} instant gratification with Prime shipping. I was out of light bulbs – added them to the cart. I needed a certain size battery – check. Talk about convenience.
I suppose instant gratification doesn’t matter much when it comes to batteries and light bulbs or even bagels and cream cheese. But I’ve learned some of my most profound lessons of trusting God when I had to wait. {Tweet that.}
I waited to get pregnant, never actually did, and learned God hears the desires of my heart.
I’ve waited for the phone to ring or mail to arrive.
I’ve waited for clarity on pursuing adoption again. I’ve started to dive in – more than once – and then remember God works while we wait.
I’ve waited for a friend to understand or my husband and I to get on the same page.
I’ve waited for my kids to get well this winter.
Like I share in my ebook, we are sanctified and perfected in the waiting. {Tweet that.}
Even knowing that, I don’t always wait patiently. Sometimes I want to rush the silence and uncertainty. Other times I assume I’ve got it all figured out and don’t need to wait on anyone or The One who actually is in control.
I eventually bought a bag of blueberry bagels and whipped cream cheese, not the strawberry flavor. The batteries and light bulbs arrived on my door step 48 hours later. God led us to adoption twice after he made it clear we were supposed to stop trying to conceive. My phone rang. Necessary conversations happened in the right time. I still don’t know about that third adoption. And I’m not sure how long my kids will stay well.
But I believe God is working.
Sometimes he makes it clear what we should do, where we should go, and when the changes should happen. Other times we have to wait. But we can worship and live and serve and rest and learn while we wait because God’s got a plan – because our names are scribbled on the notepad in heaven.
I'm also linking with Jennifer Dukes Lee for #TellHisStory and Meredith Bernard's Woman to Woman Wednesday.
Want more insights? "Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family" is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin', or subscribe to receive "Insights in Your Inbox."
