Waiting for Me?

For Years I have been half jokingly declaring publicly that someday I would write a book called “Waiting for Greg”. Why, Waiting for Greg? Well, those of you that know my husband know that God has gifted him with the ability to make a friend within moments of meeting. This wonderful gift often leaves us as the last couple to leave the party. For an introvert at heart, my patience is tested quite frequently. Unless of course we bring two cars, but then I sometimes miss out on the blessing that comes with being married to such a gifted man. The conversations that have taken place with others throughout our marriage have been amazing and at times life changing.

Greg also has the tendency to be fully engaged with whatever is happening in front of him. It’s a beautiful thing when you are the object of his attention, however, it’s a patience builder when you are the one he is forgetting about, or the one getting in the way of whatever it is that has his attention.

I’ve also been waiting for Greg to be the ideal husband that I have conjured up in my head. I have been waiting, and not too patiently at times. As I was hiking up to Lake Blanch the other day, it dawned on me that God, in the midst of all my impatient waiting, has been patiently waiting for me. What? Isn’t that just so Him, to take my focus off the sin of others and reveal my own to me? He has been waiting for me to let go of trying to change my husband and let Him do the work in both of us. Go figure. I think this concept is written in every marriage book on the planet. But, for me, no matter how many times I read it, it didn’t sink in until I had to experience the opposite not working for years, and until it was God’s timing to open my eyes to how harmful it is to others and to myself when I try to do His work for Him.

I can almost see God dreaming about my life and how it would best glorify Him. He has orchestrated so many different twists and turns to draw me close to Him. My natural tendency has been to look to the things that would bring me comfort and happiness, it has only been by the power of the Holy Spirit that God has given me the ability to look to glorifying Him first. Over and over again, He answers my prayers, to help me keep my eyes on Him and to stay on the path He has designed for me. It is always painful to be torn away from the directions that I have been so convinced were the right way to go. God has been so gracious to change my direction at just the right time. I imagined someday writing the book called “Waiting for Greg” and all along He was writing a much bigger story called “Waiting for Jill”. He is good!