The Waiting Place

Can I be honest with you?

Waiting is hard.

We’ve all experienced it – kids waiting for Christmas or birthdays; friends longing for a reunion; lovers anticipating their wedding day; parents awaiting the arrival of a child; a new home, a new job, a new piece of technology, a vacation…

Our family is in a season of waiting right now. We’ve accepted the call to travel with Life Action’s Silver Team, and we are beyond excited to begin this new phase. Here’s the rub: as soon as we accepted this call, we went back home, back to work, back to school, back to our routines, and began the process of raising support.

It’s a good process. It’s needful. But it’s not easy. Amanda and I are learning how to work together in ways that we’ve never had to before. I joke that we’re discovering new ways to fail at communicating. So we’re growing as a couple as we navigate those challenges.

We’re also being stretched in our dependence on God – not only for our livelihood once we get on the road, but for the building of our support before we embark. It’s one thing to say, “Yes, Lord, I’ll trust you to provide.” It’s another thing to trust his timing and methods. If it was up to us, Amanda and I would be packing our trailer right now! As it is, that’s not happening yet.

We’re trying to maintain our confidence in God’s wisdom and plan. But I’d be lying if I said there weren’t times when we struggle and want to know, “When will we be finished with this?” Just like Adam & Eve, we tend to question God’s goodness and provision, as if he’s holding out on us.

Recently, Amanda and I were talking through some of these struggles in the car. We took time to pray. Yes, we asked God to provide. But we also asked him to refine us through this process and to help us rest in him. Then this car drove past with the the license plate, J JIREH.

What a sweet reminder this was! Imagine Abraham, finally seeing God’s promise fulfilled in his son Isaac. Now he’s told to sacrifice that hope, that dream, that son. In faith, he affirms Jehovah Jireh – The Lord Will Provide!

I was reminded of another Father who gave up his Son.

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ~ Romans 8:32

I love the greater context that surrounds this verse – God hears our prayers perfectly; he has a good destiny planned for us; he will not allow any circumstance to interfere with his love for us.

These are solid truths and needed reminders for us right now. God is not just preparing good things for us in the future. The Waiting Place is not, contra our beloved Dr. Seuss, “a most useless place.” God is forming us through waiting, and he is preparing us now for the calling we’ve accepted.

As we try to remain open to God’s ongoing work in us, we remain determined to join our team on the road in January. In order for that to happen, we need your help. Here are three things you can do today.

• Pray – Please pray for us! We need God to continue to shape us, and we need him to provide. So ask him to do that for us!
• Give – If you haven’t already, please partner with us financially. We need more friends who are willing to commit to monthly support.
• Tell – We’d be honored if you would tell your friends and family about us. Feel free to forward them these emails. Or send them this link to sign up for our email updates. We’d be happy to speak with any of your connections about our ministry.

As always, thank you for following along on our journey. We had no idea how much God would be changing us through this, but we’re so grateful for how he patiently shapes us.