Waiting….

Waiting.

Why is it so hard to do?

In today's society, we've gotten used to instant gratification. Fast food and microwaves mean that we can eat right when we're hungry and no longer need to wait more than a couple of minutes for our food to be ready (even those couple of minutes seem too long to us now). Cell phones means we can call anyone anytime - no need to wait to get home, or wait your turn to use the phone that's connected to the wall of your home, or the cubby of a phone booth. iTunes means we don't have to wait for our favorite song to be played on the radio - we just download it right when we want to hear it. Netflix and OnDemand means we can watch what we want…when we want. ATM machines mean that we don't have to wait for a bank to be open to get our money - we can get access to it 24 hours a day. Shoot - spontaneous couples can even get married in a drive-thru chapel now-a-days.

So waiting isn't a part of our culture anymore.

That's why it's so hard to wait when something comes along that demands that we wait. When that something is out of our control. When there's no drive-thru or 24/7 call center available to get immediate answers.

Like a job interview. We can go in, do our part, say all the right things, and leave with a good feeling. But then when we don't hear anything back within the first 15 minutes, failure and doubt start to enter our minds. "Why haven't they called me yet? Did I say something wrong? Did they not like me? I thought it went well…."  Some things take time. We have to remember that.

What's a bit ironic is that "back in the day," before microwaves and cell phones and ATM machines, when people were accustomed to waiting, the result of a job interview was probably the one thing they didn't have to wait for. These were the times before online applications and "please submit your resume on our website and we'll review it and get it over to the right party for consideration" response when you call to see if a particular company is hiring. This was when you could walk in the front door and tell the manager that you're looking for a job and wanted to know if they were hiring. If the first impression was a good one,  you'd get an interview on the spot, and if things went well, you were likely offered a position before you left for the day.

So the one thing you DIDN'T have to wait long for "back then," can take quite a bit of time "today." There are so many legal and political issues involved in the hiring process now, so hearing back within a week of the interview is considered unusual.

Which is when the waiting comes in.

Patience is a trait with which many of us struggle. I know I do. So we have to go to the Lord and ask that He would help us with this certain fruit of the Spirit. For me, patience requires a lot of attention to my thoughts, focus on my outward attitude, and a ton of prayer.

So that's what we're doing…praying…and praying…and praying.

And waiting…

Acts 1:8

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; And you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

That verse gives us instruction for one of the most important roles as a Christian - to witness about Jesus Christ. But it can be so hard. What if it's the wrong time? What if they reject me? What if they laugh at me? What if….? What if….? What if….?

JD doesn't worry about the "What Ifs…." He just does it. He takes his Bible to school and reads verses to his friends at lunch. He reads his Bible during reading time in class. For his 8th birthday, he asked for a bible carrying case, tab dividers for the books of the Bible, and a set of highlighters (he saw mine and liked it so that's what he asked for). Now he uses the highlighters to highlight the verses that he's memorized, and the stories that he's read. I'm sure at some point, the entire Bible will be highlighted.

The last Sunday during church service, he not-so-quietly whispered to me "Do you know what's bad? That there are more kids in my class at school that don't know Jesus than kids that do." I know he's been talking to his friends about Jesus, so I responded with "but you're changing that, aren't you?" "Yes," he said "but I need Bibles."

So I ordered some kids Bibles for him to give to his friends.

Tonight we'll pray over them and ask for guidance - who should he share them with?

I'm so proud of JD and his missionary heart. Acts 1:8 is so difficult for most of us to follow through with, but if we all had the faith of a child and weren't afraid of the "What ifs…," I wonder how many people out there we could bring to Christ?

Go JD Go!!! Show the rest of us how simple it is!

Through the Eyes of Their Mama

I've had my dream job as a full-time stay-at-home mom/housewife for almost 6 months now. When I quit my high-income, high-stress job to stay home and focus on family, I thought I'd have so much time on my hands. I thought I'd fill my days with some housework and working out, but mostly playing with the kids, volunteering my time, scrapbooking, and doing a much better job of keeping up with this blog.

Wrong. I've been terrible at it.

I've done lots of housework and some of the other stuff, but this blog….well, it's been almost non-existent these last 6 months.

So much has happened since my last post -- JD and Ryan's soccer season (Ryan's 1st season, no less), Thanksgiving, Christmas, JD's 8th birthday, JD's 2nd season of basketball, the boys' baseball tryouts….not to mention their school Christmas pageant, school awards ceremonies, Awana club activities, deer hunting and hog hunting adventures.

There's also been a lot of shuttling to and from school and athletics, church, housecleaning, loads of laundry, grocery shopping trips (trying my hand at couponing), child disciplining, Bible Studies and quiet time, and a LITTLE BIT of scrapbooking. So amidst all that, I haven't found the time to update my blog.

For those who have said to me (or other stay-at-home moms) "Now that you have nothing to do since you're not working…." I'm here to tell you, as a new SAHM, there's ALWAYS something to do. And the work is NEVER done. It's great though, and I'm certainly not complaining. I LOVE my job - I LOVE every bit of the cleaning, cooking, shopping, shuttling, laundering, and my mornings spent studying my Bible and attending Bible studies. I LOVE it, even if I get very little time for the scrapbooking and blogging. The important thing is that my time is spent focused on God and my family - the two most important things in life.

BUT - it's my mission to do a better job of keeping up with this. Because one day, I want JD & Ryan to be able to read this blog and get a little insight into their lives as kids, through the eyes of their Mama.