Since I was a child, I’ve been praying for God’s will to be done in my life. “Here I am, Lord! Send me!”
“According to Your words, so be it unto me!”
“Thy kingdom come, they will be done in MY life on Earth, even as it is Your will in heaven for me.”
I suppose I’ve wanted God to send me a love letter spelling out the details of what I was supposed to do with my life specifically. I wanted an instruction manual more itemized than the Bible that was written just for me.
I never got one.
So, I’ve discovered that in my life, doing God’s will means taking one day at a time, doing what is set before me in that day to the best of my ability. As a teacher, I knew that was God’s calling for me in that season. I’ve also written a weekly newspaper column for about 16 years and I believe that was also part of God’s open door for ministry in my life. I’ve sung, taught, spoken, written, photographed, ministered in a variety of ways, and tried to do all to the glory of God. But I still didn’t get the advance directives I had hoped for.
I find myself at a crossroads in life. Recently retired from the public classroom, I am nowhere ready to retire from life or to think that God is done with me. So, I’ve continued to pray, as I have for decades that God would reveal the next big thing to me. So far, I keep getting closed doors.
But this is what I know about God through lessons over the years of His faithfulness. Even when I can’t see what God is doing, He is busy in the daily arrangements of my life. Even when He seems silent, there are things going on behind the scenes. Even when I can’t see things changing, there are things aligning themselves behind the scenes to take me to the next step.
Have you been praying for a long time for certain things to come to pass in your life? Maybe you have a loved one that you want to experience the love of God. Maybe you are praying about a change of jobs, the purchase of a home, or a move to a new city. Perhaps you are trusting God to send you his chosen spouse that is tailor made to work side to side with you. Perhaps you need to know about a career path.
God heard you from the first time you whispered a prayer for His involvement in the plans of your life. There is an appointed time when that answer will make itself clear to you if you just don’t give up and take things into your own hands. I believe in proactively waiting. Don’t sit down, do nothing, and say you are waiting on God. There are plenty of instructions in the Bible about keeping busy in Our Father’s kingdom work on this earth.
Keep praying. Wait until the answer comes – “Yes,” “No,” “Wait.” We all want a great big “yes,” a seal of approval on our desires, but sometimes we get another answer. Just remember that God’s love for you, and His plans for you are far better than your own. Hang on just a little longer. Your answer is on the way!
Queen of Ordinary 