waiting... still

Spending another week of our lives out in Michigan visiting our (hopefully) soon to be daughter. Well she's already our daughter in our hearts but all the red tape is more like red glue than anything else. We've had the pleasure of celebrating her first birthday, spending time at the zoo with all three of our kiddos, and generally just getting to know this beautiful little lady. To say that we're love struck is an understatement at best and yet still we have to wait... and wait. Visit after visit falling thru (frustrating). All this leaves us asking... why...

In my better moments I hope that God is using this for character building, in my lesser it's just annoying. I'm reminded of a verse from the book of Romans, chapter five, verses three thru five

wecalso rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope.5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Sometimes I begin to wonder what God is waiting for... why He keeps seeking after us through all the pain of denial and frustration of disobedience. Why hasn't He just thrown in the towel or thrown up His hands and said "enough." There's certainly plenty of "wrong" in this world that He'd be justified. Then I'm reminded again that when we think or talk about God it's all about perspective. God doesn't need us to come to Him. He isn't so much waiting on us out of desperation or for us to fill some hole He has, rather in his Long-suffering Love He waits for us to come to Him. He waits as a Loving father waits for His children to return home late at night. He waits as a groom waits for his bride to appear the the end of the center aisle. He waits as a pregnant mother waits to hold her child in her arms. He waits in LOVE.

Through this season of Easter I was reminded of a couple things. First, that waiting breeds desire. We desire what we cannot yet have, like a new piece of technology or the latest style... it's the only thing we think about, we do everything we can to gain it. The question is... Are we waiting on God? Are we anxious for the day when all this world passes away and we see God. For some of you this might be the scariest thought you've ever had, for others total peace. I am waiting to see God, scared out of my mind, and yet with total peace that Jesus will be there saying he's one of mine.

The second thing I took away from Easter this year was how this great LOVE of God will give up anything for it's pursuit. We always talk about the sacrifice Jesus gave for us at Easter, but this year the gravity of that sacrifice really began to hit me like never before. The sacrifice didn't start at the cross, it started at the manger. Immanuel, God incarnate, Jesus stepping out of the Glory of heaven, absolute perfection to walk with us. He who had been in perfect communion with the Father and Spirit, now had to pray. Still fully God, still in communion with them but now physically separated. I don't pretend to know all that that involved for Jesus, but I do know that it was Love that compelled Him.

Love spent 33 years with us, and then in the ultimate sacrifice was separated from God carrying the burden of our sin to the grave. Maybe this is why He's so willing to wait. Maybe this is why Christ's patience is so strong, because of the great length He went to make a way for us to be restored. Maybe waiting is the result of desire.

Thank God He's willing to wait...

One day God will say "enough" but not out of frustration or anger, but rather as the conquering King. He has a day and hour set for this to take place yet He welcomes all that would come to Him in the meantime.

First John chapter four verse ten :

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.