Hanging out in the hallway

In January our Pastor gave our church a challenge.  He challenged us to find 5 people in our lives, in our neighborhood or at work that we could minister to.  The goal was to focus on these people and be the church to them, where they are.  Some people would end up with more than 5 and others might only have 2 or 3, but the goal was to get out and interact, build relationships with the people around us.  I loved this challenge and was so excited as I listened to the Pastor's plan.

As I began to pray then and now as I look back I will admit that some of the people I thought the Lord would have me minister to are were not on my first list.  However, at the same time I love being able to look back and see how through my willingness to step out the Lord has opened some wonderful doors for me.  At the same time I am being constantly challenged to step out of where I am comfortable and be willing to truly be real with those around me.

This morning the Lord took me to a passage in Lamentations that spoke to my heart.  I have read this passage many times before but I love how this morning he awakened my heart to His Spirit as I read.

I’ll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness,     the taste of ashes, 

the poison I've swallowed. I remember it all 

oh, how well I remember the feeling of hitting the bottom.

But there’s one other thing I remember,  and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:

God’s loyal love couldn't have run out, his merciful love couldn't have dried up.

They’re created new every morning. How great your faithfulness!

I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over).  He’s all I've got left.

God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,

 to the woman who diligently seeks.

It’s a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God.

It’s a good thing when you’re young to stick it out through the hard times.

When life is heavy and hard to take,    go off by yourself. Enter the silence.

Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions:    Wait for hope to appear.

Don’t run from trouble. Take it full-face.    The “worst” is never the worst.

Why? Because the Master won’t ever    walk out and fail to return.

If he works severely, he also works tenderly.    His stockpiles of loyal love are immense.

Lamentations 3:19-32

I underlined my favorite verse in this passage.  I love it where the Bible tells us that God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits and the woman who diligently seeks. Both of these descriptions really spoke to me.  We all have periods in our lives where the Lord has us in a holding pattern.  We want to make a big decision but instead of getting direction from the Lord we know he wants us to wait.  Some people describe it as hanging out in the hallway until the Lord opens a door. For example,  Craig and I have wanted to move to South Carolina near family for 6 years and we have tried 3 times.  Every time we tried it did not work out and that last time we were so very close and thought it was all in place and it fell apart.  However, we both still have a heart and desire to move our family there, but we have learned that the Lord is not ready for us to do that yet.  We have learned that he is asking us to wait.  There is still work for us to do in Nashville.  

In this verse it says the man who passionately waits.  Now, I don't know what the formal meaning of that statement is but I know what I heard the Lord tell me.  Am I going to sit around doing nothing until God says "go" or am I going to be passionate about where God has me right now.  When Pastor gave us his challenge I gained a renewed sense that the Lord had work for me to do and he wanted me to be passionate about it.  Sometimes waiting on the Lord is not just sitting and doing nothing, but looking around because there might be something right in front of you the Lord needs your help with and it is the reason he is having you wait.

My other favorite part is the phrase that talks about a woman who diligently seeks.  As I read this I told the Lord I don't just want to spend time daily with him.  I want to be diligent in my study time.  The definition of diligent is: steady, earnest, energetic effort or painstaking.  When you think of your walk with the Lord whether in Bible study, prayer or personal ministry do any of those words describe your relationship?  What do you think your personal ministry for the Lord would look like if they did describe it?  I don't want to just do life, but I want to do life well.  I want what I say, what I do, how I raise my girls to be a direct reflection of the love of Jesus.  Don't just say you want people to see Jesus in you but be passionate and diligent about it, then you might just be surprised at all that you see the Lord doing around you.