Charlie's angel at ease

So it seems as I was practicing my karate kicks and sorting my file folders while doing deep breathing to ease the anxiety, God was working on his own lesson for me. It never ceases to amaze me how the Bible speaks to me. " For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires." Hebrews 4:12

Have you ever had those moments when you have read the Bible or heard a sermon when you know that you have been brought to hear these words at this particular time in your life. God is a master storyteller. It so intrigues me about Him. I love to read about His meandering around history while He builds all of life on earth into a master plot and then releases the future with a few colorful hints of how it will turn out. I love the true to life characters and the poignant pieces of wisdom tucked in and out of these stories like sequins on a dress. However, I often forget that He is in the business of building my story. It should not surprise me when He shows up like He does, like a father, like a spy, like an architect with precision and meaning. When I am open to his voice there are few moments that can be labeled as scrap metal...even when I forget to listen, He is forging ahead.

I am involved in a ladies Bible study on Esther. It has been an intriguing study and I can hardly put it down. Beth Moore speaks on the book every other week via video. This week was about waiting on the right time. The art of waiting has been lost to us Westerners. It is an unfortunate by-product of our culture. It was, in part, the reason for the somewhat frantic tone of my last blog. I had forgotten that God works things out in His way. I am only to wait for Him and look to Him, ready to act when the time is right. "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" Isaiah 40:31. The interesting point that Beth pointed out was that in this waiting, our focus is never what we are waiting for, it is who we are waiting on. The Master play write, the Supreme story teller, who never takes his cues out of sinc, or writes his lines out of order. If I am meant to wait, then it is for a reason and I am to do so while looking to him. The paradox in all of this is that while I am waiting I am not lying down. Look at all the action verbs accompanying this waiting, mounting up with eagles wings, running, walking. I am waiting, looking to God, while moving forward with confidence that when I "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness then all these things will be added unto you" Matthew 6:33

This is just another one of those crises of faith. Do I crumble underneath the load of all that I see, or do I trust that God can help and let Him lead me one step at a time. I don't have to have it all together (big exhaling breath) because He does. Maybe a little walking on the water could be fun....