Hang in There!

It took years.  A lot of years.  I wish I could tell you we were patient and joyful throughout that long period.  The ride was an emotional rollercoaster with more than its fair share of hopes dashed, plans scuttled and doubts expressed.  We almost gave up.  The pain and the stress of it all were more than we could bear.

Then the day finally came.  We prepared her bedroom, slathering on layers of pink paint and hanging dresses in the closet.  Her name was Lily.

Then we got matched.  Surprise!  Our daughter was a boy.  (Pink is easier to paint over than it seems.)

Austin is the perfect match for us, and we for him.  It is as if we share DNA.  He is our son.  It all happened at just the right time, in God’s time.  Had it been any other way, things could have been a disaster.  We couldn’t see it at the time.  All we could see was our heart for a child, the desire to be parents and the anguish of disappointment.

I’m reminded of something David wrote, as he was facing warfare and an enemy he thought was overwhelming: “But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.”  My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!  Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love!” (Psalm 31:14-16, ESV).  David knew a thing or two about waiting in anguish.  The psalms bear this out in amazing clarity.  David was waiting for God.  He was anguished.  He was frightened. 

But he was faithful.  He never gave up on God.  Even more importantly, God never gave up on David.  The faithfulness of our Lord never ceases to amaze me. 

My point is simply this: hang in there.  Whatever you are waiting on God for, hang in there.  What he has for you may not look anything like what you are anticipating.  But His will is infinitely better than ours.  Whatever you are waiting for, look to God.  Keep your focus on Him.  He will not let you down. 

Do you not know?
   Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
   the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
   and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
   and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
   and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
   will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint. – Isaiah 40:28-31 (ESV)

Hang in there!  Wait for the Lord.  All good things come from Him in His good time.

Just Call Me Coho

Every fall, the Coho and Chinook salmon travel up the Grand River to spawn. And, every fall, my dad and his best friend Charlie would make the long trek to the Sixth Street Dam in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, to join the throng of anglers, each trying catch of few of these salmon.

Thinking back, I feel a little sorry for the fish. Some made it to the fish ladders and safely beyond the dam to their destination upriver. But, for those who didn’t… as the old saying goes, it was like shooting fish in a barrel. Or, rather, hooking them.

All these poor salmon were doing were trying to fulfill their mission in life: the annual migration they were designed to make. Yet here, halfway into their momentous yearly trip, was a huge barrier. And a bunch of fishermen awaiting them, eager to take advantage of their plight. How frustrating it must have been to be one of the salmon that just couldn’t find its way to the ladders.

There are days when we feel like one of those salmon. We’re just trying to do what we feel God has called us to do, trying to get to our destination, trying to find the ladder.

Sometimes we hit a barrier.

Sometimes our attention is turned by the shiny jig and hook.

Sometimes we get reeled in and filleted.

If this is you today, take heart. You aren’t swimming upstream alone. You have a whole school of fish travelling with you. Most importantly, we have God with us. Remember, Jesus promised: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29, ESV).

Can’t find the ladder to safety ahd deliverance? You just might be looking in the wrong direction. Look to Jesus and swim easier.