just wait
Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;
Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.
I pled and wept for a clue to my fate…
And the Master so gently said, “wait.”
“wait? You say wait?” my indignant reply.
“Lord I need answers, I need to know why!
Is Your hand shortened? Or have You not heard?
By faith I have asked, and claiming Your word.
My future and all to whish I relate
Hangs in the balance and You tell me to wait?
I’m needing a ‘yes’, a go-ahead sign.
Or even a ‘no’ which I’ll resign.
You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe,
We need but to ask and we shall receive.
Lord I’ve been asking, and this is my cry:
I’m weary of asking! I need a reply.”
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my Master replied again, “wait”
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,
And grumbled to God, “so I’m waiting.. for what?”
He seemed then to kneel and His eyes met with mine..
And He tenderly said, “I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.
I could give all you seek and please you would be.
You’d have what you want, but you wouldn’t know Me.
You’d not know the depth of My love for each saint.
You’d not know the power that I give to the faint.
You’d not learn to see through the clouds of despair;
You’d not learn to trust just by knowing I’m there.
You’d not know the joy of resting in Me
When the darkness and silence are all you can see.
You’d never experience the fullness of love
When the peace of My spirit descends like a dove.
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
But you’d not know the depth of the beat of My heart.
The glow of My comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight.
The depth that’s beyond getting just what you ask
From an infinite God who makes what you have last.
You’d never know should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true
But oh, the loss if I lost what I’m doing in you
So, be silent, My child, and in time you will see
That the greatest gifts is to truly know Me.
And though often my answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still.. WAIT.”
-Russell Kelfer
dirty mop water
Dirty Mop WaterIt seems to be quite often that my kitchen is in need of a good scrubbing. With a very active two-year-old in the household, and lots of activity that goes with it, it is only a natural by product. The place that always needs cleaned the worst is the kitchen floor. Between play dough, half eaten cookies, and a whole host of other things, it bears the worst of a two-year-old's onslaught.
In order to clean the floor, you must start with clean and hot soapy water. This will clean anything that it touches. Hopefully, when I am done cleaning, my floors will be white again, and not a dingy brown. God seeks to do the same thing with our souls. What is dirty and brown with dirt, He seeks to clean and refresh.
In order to clean the floor effectively, you must get on your hands and knees, get a little dirty, and get all the corners and hard areas clean again. God wants to do the same thing when you get on your hands and knees and pray. God will answer you when you come to Him in prayer.
Cleaning a floor takes effort, and it takes time; you can't rush through it. You must be prepared to clean the floor, then after the two-year-old runs through, be prepared to have to do it again. It is in doing a task time and time again that God teaches us patience, self control, and a whole lot of other spiritual lessons. We must be open and willing to learn from them as we go through life.
footprints in the sand
One night a man had a dream. He dreamt he was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonged to him, and the other to the Lord. When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happens at the lowest and saddest times in his life.This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it.
"Lord, You said that once I decided to follow You, You'd walk with me all the way. but I have noticed that during the most troublesome times of my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed You most You would leave me."
And the Lord replied," My precious child, I love you and I would never leave you or forsake you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only see one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."
chat with God
God: Hello. Did you call me?Me: Called you? No. Who is this?
God: This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.Me: I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now. I am In the midst of something.
God: What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.Me: Don't know. But I cant find free time. Life has become hectic.It's rush hour all the time.
God: Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results. Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.Me: I understand. But I still cant figure out. By the way, I was not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.
God: Well I wanted to resolve your fight for time, by giving you some clarity. In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the medium you are comfortable with.Me: Tell me, why has life become complicated now?
God: Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.
Me: Why are we then constantly unhappy?
God: Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. You are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your habit. That's why you are not happy.Me: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?
God: Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.
Me: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty..
God: Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.Me: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?
God: Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don't suffer. With that experience their life become better not bitter.Me: You mean to say such experience is useful?
God: Yes. Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.Me: But still, why should we go through such tests? Why cant we be free from problems?
God: Problems are purposeful roadblocks offering beneficial lessons (to) enhance mental strength. Inner strength comes from truggle and endurance, not when you are free from problems.Me: Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don't know where we are heading..
God: If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Look inside. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides insight.Me: Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the right direction. What should I do?
God: Success is a measure decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure decided by you You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.Me: In tough times, how do I stay motivated?
God: Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.Me: What surprises you about people?
God: When they suffer they ask, "why me?" When they prosper, they never ask "Why me". Everyone wishes to have truth on their side,but few want to be on the side of the truth.Me: Sometimes I ask, who am I, why am I here. I can't get an answer.
God: Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it. Life is not a process of discovery but a process of creation.
Me: How can I get the best out of life?
God: Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.Me: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.
God: There are no unanswered prayers. At times the answer is NO.Me: Thank you for this wonderful chat.
God: Well. Keep the faith and drop the fear. Don't believe your doubts and don't doubt your beliefs. Life is a mystery to solve not a problem to resolve. Trust me. Life is wonderful if you know how to live.