My sister got the call yesterday late afternoon. They will
be traveling to Little Rock on 11/11. CT scan on the 12th, surgery
on the 14th.
Whew.
There is some relief knowing the date. Knowing when we need
to rearrange our lives for a time.
There is relief in knowing.
Then for about an hour after hearing the date I kept getting
messages about how perfect the timing is for many reasons. More relief. More
confirmation that God’s hand is all over this just as He promises.
I’m not sure what you are waiting on yourself as you read
this. But it seems the most unsettling time is in the waiting. When the moment
actually arrives for “doing” it’s doable. Somehow, God faithfully provides the
means for action. It’s in the waiting where hard, sometimes torturous work has
to be done.
I think of Jesus waiting in the garden of Gethsemane the
night before He is to be crucified. He is the literal perfect example of how to
wait. He went to a beautiful place in God’s creation with some friends and
prayed.
As I googled a picture of the garden I fortuitously stumbled onto a
website that gave specific directions for getting to the garden, “The best
route for getting to the Garden of Gethsemane is to go through the Dung Gate
and then turn to the left towards the Mount of Olives.”
Wait, what was that? Go through the “Dung Gate” to
reach the garden? Now I do not have a degree in ancient history, but I can
google “dung” and it is exactly what you are thinking it is. The “Dung Gate”
shows up in Nehemiah 3:13-14. God does have a sense of humor and there are no
coincidences, can we agree on those two things? I love God so much. He knows we are not perfect
like His precious son, He knows to reach the “good” waiting place for Him we
have to go through dung.
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| The Dung Gate before is was enlarged in 1952. |
I believe some of you, like myself, have a tendency of wanting
perfectionism in our faith (After all, Jesus is our example! He’s not only
tough to live up to, it’s impossible to do so!) So when bad news arrives we do
what humans do and we crumble. Your crumbling may look different than mine, but
it is inevitable to go through some falling apart. Y’all. It’s not just inevitable,
it’s biblical! Hallelujah for a God who knew some of us would find peace and
comfort in permission to go through the Gate of Dung. If we will keep putting
one foot in front of another it leads directly to a beautiful place of
communion with God. It leads to the garden where His son cried out
in all his humanness to take this cup from him, but let God's will be done.
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| Garden of Gethsemane |
Over the years of trials we have been taught
by God to turn to Him. For us this involves pouring into our bible study
homework, praying without ceasing, choosing joy, and surrounding ourselves with
wise people who pray and encourage.
What is the fruit from this? Peace that
surpasses all understanding. Finding joy in moments. Cherishing each other and
the time we are given today.
In the waiting is where we decide to either let our fear
grow or our faith show.
Goodness, the work is in the waiting, isn’t it? So now we wait for God to part the Red Sea for us and we will give all glory to Him
when He arrives in his perfect timing.
Do you need a gentle nudge away from the Dung Gate? It is
part of the process for sure, but we were meant to continue on down the path to
meet God in prayer.
Dear God, help us take the small step away from the gate and towards You where you wait with open arms to deliver us from the pain we feel. Amen.
“And
going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible,
let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39
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