“Please read just one more story” became my daughter’s common bedtime plea. But my son wanted “just five more minutes” of lining up Matchbook cars on the rug before I tucked him in. Both of them vehemently resisted early bedtimes that allowed them to wake refreshed and ready for school the next morning. So, I made them a deal. If they would go to bed on time during the week, they could stay up as late as they wanted on Friday night. It was a great deal – for Ron and me. By the time Friday night rolled around, they always fell asleep before their actual bedtime. The week’s hectic pace got the best of them.
Some seasons find me making similar pleas to God. I pray, “Please, God, just one more change of circumstances.” Other times, I ask for help in lining up others’ hearts with mine. But like the good parent He is, God makes me a much better deal. One that wakes me up refreshed and eager to learn. Instead of changing my circumstances or the people around me, He changes me.
Promptly answered prayers build our faith in God’s willingness and ability to change things on our behalf. Our doubt decreases, and trust increases. Yet, many times, we enter a season of waiting for an answer. The waiting signals that God is busy changing something in us. (Why did it take me so long to figure that out?) Long-lasting change takes time. Whether it’s waiting on a new job, a positive pregnancy test, a relationship to blossom, or test results from the doctor, waiting gives us the opportunity to look at ourselves from God’s perspective. It’s humbling to realize that some things might not change until we change (or at least change our perspective).
Just ask Joseph. He waited 13 years to be set free from his circumstances and eventually occupy the throne. Many good things happened through him during his season of waiting, but God used those long years to effectively transform Joseph’s heart. He grew from a young, prideful boy, provoking jealousy in his older brothers, into an older, humble man who finally showed them great mercy and forgiveness. Joseph’s every prayer for help was met by one growth opportunity after another. The same thing that was true for Joseph is true for us – change takes time. Sometimes years.
That new job may not come our way until we acquire a few more necessary skills. A heartfelt desire for children might be fulfilled in a different form than we imagined. That person who doesn’t love us the way we think they should might need us to adjust our love for them. And waiting on those test results? Prayer in that kind of waiting slides us closer to the comfort of Jesus. His presence sweetly eases the pain of waiting.
When we faithfully step back and take a long look at ourselves during those times of pleading with God, we see a difference between who we once were and who we are now. And we realize that because we have changed, our outlook has changed.
Let’s not let life’s hectic pace get the best of us. Let’s remember to thank God for changing us for the better. Ask Him for “just one more story” to share with those traveling behind. Let’s eagerly beg for “just five more minutes” to line up our hearts with God and watch Him make our paths straight. We’ll find ourselves refreshed and ready for the next best thing!
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”
(Psalm 139:23-24 NLT)
