Finding Peace & Joy

Regularly The Lord takes me on a journey to a deeper walk with Him.  It is amazing how quickly a trial can grow us in The Lord. 

For the last six years I have journeyed the road of patience. It is funny that before six years ago I didn't know patience, and I certainly never prayed for patience. 

Everyone knows what happens when you pray for patience. That is one prayer The Lord always answers. The way to learn patience is through being stretched... Through waiting and waiting and waiting. 

The Lord in His kindness however, decided to give me the gift of patience anyway. 

He mainly used my journey of adoption to teach me patience.  I have always wanted to be a mother but thought marriage would come first. 

My decision to adopt wasn't because I was struggling with being childless and decided I had waited long enough, time to take things into my own hands. 

My decision to adopt came solely from The Lord placing the desire in my heart. When The Lord gives you a passion or desire, it doesn't go away. 

Waiting to complete the home-study, waiting to be called about a child, waiting to see if I was chosen from the many families that inquired about a particular child. Waiting to meet my daughter, waiting to bring her home. Waiting for parental rights to be terminated. Waiting for court hearings. Waiting for the day I don't have to get permission from CYS to get my daughter's hair cut.

Knowing The Lord wants me to adopt again and waiting to start the process all over again.

Then the patience of helping two girls who are strangers navigate their way to being sisters. Patience helping a neglected child learn how to function in a family.

Last year at this time I also found out I had a nodule on my thyroid. I waited for the sonogram results. Then I waited for the biopsy results. Then I waited for a surgery date. I waited for the lab results to find out if I had cancer. 

Last month I found out I am losing my job at the end of this month. I will wait again to see how The Lord will provide. 

Waiting gets easier and as patience grows, so does peace. When you have seen the Red Sea parted in your life, when you see Manna falling from heaven, when you see water come from a rock, it gets easier to trust... to wait. 

The Lord has shown me over and over again that He is near. That He sees my need. That He is in control. That He loves me. 

There is almost always joy when the waiting is over. But The Lord has shown me over the years that there is joy to be found even in the waiting.

I don't have to question my destination or how I get there. I can face difficult roads ahead. I can rest peacefully in His arms while He navigates the path. My confidence, my faith, my everything can be still... and at peace...because I know He is God. 

There is peace and joy in the waiting.