Waiting for the Lord

   “Obedience to God means, first of all, waiting, having to wait, sustine Dominum – waiting for the Lord.” (Thomas Merton, “A Year with Thomas Merton: Daily Meditations from His Journals”)

   I am impatient at times; I want things done when I want them done, not at the pleasure of another.  This is one my weaknesses that I strive to overcome.  I suspect there are many others who suffer from this desire for immediate gratification.

   This, like so many other things of God, goes back to our misunderstanding of time.  We put everything on the clock, watching anxiously to see how long we must wait.  But time applies only to us, not to God.  He is forever present, yesterday, today and tomorrow.  What we consider a long time is the eternal now for Him; a concept we will never understand in this life.

   Obedience to God means that I must always trust in His will and accept His plan and His perfect timing.  Without always understanding why, I must have faith in Him.  When a loving parent tells their preteen that they can’t drive the car it’s not a forever answer, it is “not yet.”  Sometimes our loving Father will answer us the same way.  If a child asked for something harmful that same parent would say no out of love and protection for the child.  When God says no to our prayers it is because He loves and cares for us.

  Trust God in all things.  Trust in His ways and pray for His guidance.  Accept that we can’t fully know God or His plan in this life.  Give Him praise in all things.  In these ways we are obedient to God.

Father, I place all my trust in You.

Accept my love for You.

Strengthen my faith in You.

Make me always obedient to Your will.

Amen