God's timing

June 14, 2016 by Tricia Goyer 5 Comments

How to Wait on the Lord

Are you currently waiting on the Lord? Maybe you’re waiting for a job, a spouse, or a wayward child to return home. Maybe you’re waiting for wisdom for next steps or how to handle a hard situation. Waiting is hard because there is so little we have to wait on these days. We can microwave a meal in three minutes. We can journey across the globe in one day. We can google the answer to any question in three seconds. We can send a text in one second without waiting for the mail to arrive.

And in our fast-paced, instant-access society, when we suddenly don’t have what we want most, and we have to wait, we feel helpless, weak and powerless. Sometimes we even question God like David did in Psalm 13:1, “How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?”

We wonder if God hears. We question in God cares. We doubt.

Have you ever doubted God? I have. Years ago I felt God’s call to to adoption. I waited and prayed for seven years (without nagging!) for God to put the same call on John’s heart too. Then I waited two years as we did paperwork. And I waited another year after the paperwork was finished for a child. And the call never came. Instead, I was confronted with doors closing on the international path we’d chosen.

After ten years of waiting my heart was broken. Why, God? Why?

And in my brokenness I turned to God. Even in tears I told Him that I trusted Him. Verses like these resonate in my heart:

I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. Psalm 130:5-6

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:14

And in my waiting and seeking I realized I wasn’t alone. The Bible is filled with those who wait. One of my favorite waiting stories is about a man who waited his whole life for a glimpse of the promised Messiah.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Luke 2:25-26

As he took the child, Jesus, in his arms Simeon proclaimed it was worth the wait.

“Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” Luke 2:29-32

In Simeon’s waiting He saw the Lord. And in our waiting we also discover Him too. Every minute that Simeon waited made the joy of receiving even more precious.

Why does God ask us to wait? Waiting prepares your heart. Even when your mind feels ready for a task, your heart might not be there yet. Waiting allows God time to feel the gap between your head and your heart.

What to do while you wait:

1. Be thankful for who God is and what He’s done.

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love (Psalm 103:8). Thank Him, knowing the waiting comes from His compassion, grace and love. Treasure Him for all who He is. Know that if you never receive what you’re waiting for God is enough.

2. Walk in obedience in what God has already called you to.

Living a righteous life happens one day at a time. Instead of trying to hurry God up, walk faithfully where He has you now.

3. Be honest in your struggle.

As I waited for adoption doors to open I shared my struggle. I asked friends to pray for my family. I shared how I didn’t understand why we were having to wait for doors to open to adopt a child when it’s clearly God’s mandate in Scripture. The amazing thing is that a praying friend was the connection with our daughter’s birth mom. In my willingness to share my struggle (not with complaining but with humility) God opened the doors.

4. Seek God for strength.

Waiting is never easy, but when we are at the end of ourselves it’s then we turn to—and depend on—God’s strength. “Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary,” Isaiah 40:31 NASV

5. Realize that the waiting is part of God’s ultimate YES!

Romans 11:34-36 says, “Is there anyone around who can explain God? Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do? Anyone who has done him such a huge favor that God has to ask his advice? Everything comes from him; Everything happens through him; Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes. Yes. Yes.” (MSG). Even though the waiting was hard the final yes was much more beautiful than I ever imagined.

For me, Jesus’ ultimate YES wasn’t one child adopted but SEVEN. Yes, seven. When God opened the doors He opened a floodgate, and we adopted seven children in five years.

Looking back I’m so thankful for the time of waiting. I’m thankful that I allowed God to prepare my heart and my life. God’s YES was bigger than I ever hoped or dreamed.

Here’s a prayer for you:

Oh Lord, I know You’re a good God, but the truth is that I’m tried of waiting. I know You have the perfect answer. I trust You have the perfect solution, but waiting for the moment you decreed is tough.

Please be with me as I wait. Let me see You as I never have before. Help me to trust You and see You in new ways. Prepare my heart, Lord, as I wait, and finally thank You for Your ultimate yes.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Friend, today I’m also praying for you. I’m praying that God’s current NO will allow time, space and preparation for His ultimate YES. To God be the glory!

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February 20, 2015 by Tricia Goyer 6 Comments

The Child God Chose for Us | Adoption & God’s Timing

Thirteen years ago, I was reading a Woman’s World magazine, and one article changed my thoughts on how many children is “enough.” At the time, I thought three was plenty. My kids were ten, seven, and five. I was homeschooling them, and we had a very busy life.

Then I read an article about all the girls growing up in orphanages in China. I wept when I read the article and realized my heart had room for more. That night after dinner, I showed John the article and brought up the idea of adoption. At the time, John wasn’t interested. “These three are a handful. How can we deal with more?” Then there was the thought of cost. Adoption was (is!) expensive. I was disappointed, but I let the matter drop. I’ve learned over the years that nagging never works, and if God desires John’s heart to change, then He’ll do the change.

Years passed, and I mentioned adoption a few more times. I was still interested, and John was still not. Then around 2005, John surprised me by asking me if I still was interested in adoption. My eyes grew wide, and I exclaimed, “Yes!”

Over the years, God had softened John’s heart. Maybe it was due to the fact our kids were older and easier to deal with. Maybe it was because I was mentoring teen moms and we had their little kids around often (and enjoyed that!). Or maybe because God decided the time was right.

It took almost three years for us to fill out the paperwork for a Chinese adoption … just in time for the wait for a Chinese baby to greatly increase. We still don’t have that beautiful little Chinese girl I felt called to add to our home. We’re still waiting, and we know that the child God chooses to bring into our home in this way is going to be pretty special. And, like the way God works, there have been other surprises along the way.

You see, a few Decembers ago I was extremely discouraged. Why did God place this on my heart … and why did it take so long for John to get on board … only to have everything slow down in China? I didn’t understand. After crying and praying about it, I finally had peace. God (not me!) had a perfect plan. I relinquished all my ideas and dreams to Him. I told Him I trusted Him and I was willing to wait.

It was that very same day that I got a call from a friend telling me about a birth mom in our own town who was looking for an adoptive family. John and I soon met with this amazing young woman, and we realized that God had a different gift for us than we expected.

Our baby girl was born in March 2013, and she has been an amazing gift to us! When we hold, hug, kiss, and play with Alyssa, we are filled with joy. She brings joy to our lives, but there’s also joy knowing that even though God’s plans are different than ours … in the end, they are beautiful.

Looking back, I’ve come to learn God’s timing is perfect. We just need to be willing to trust Him, wait, and be open to the children He has planned for our families.

God’s timing is perfect—we need to be willing to trust Him & wait @TriciaGoyer

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Other blogs I’ve written about adoption:

How to Adopt for {Almost} Free

Adoption from Foster Care: Your Questions Answered, Part 1

Adoption from Foster Care: Your Questions Answered, Part 2

Adoption from Foster Care: Your Questions Answered, Part 3

Choosing to Adopt: One Couple’s Story

Adoption {She Said}

Adoption {He Said}

The Sad News About Adoption in Our World

Meet the New Goyer Children (our announcement in 2013!)

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December 2, 2014 by Tricia Goyer 4 Comments

A Heart Wide Open Christmas: Day 3 |How to Embrace God’s Big Vision for Your Life

God always desires to conceive in us a Bigger vision than the ONE we’re imagining. – Shellie Rushing Tomlinson

My first Christmas after becoming a Christian, I was a new mom AND I’d just gotten engaged. After the birth of my son, God brought an amazing man into my life. As we sat in front of the Christmas tree, I had a good future for myself in mind. I believed that John and I would remain in our small, California town, he’d find a good job, and we’d raise a few kids. Thoughts of writing books, traveling the world, or filling our house with many children was no where on the agenda. (Perhaps just as the star in the sky and the angelic choir were no where on the agenda for the shepherds who met the Christ Child.)

God has done more than I ever dream, mostly because I’ve been willing to follow His Big Vision.

So how can we embrace God’s Big Vision for our lives?

Surrender to God’s gift. God didn’t give Jesus just to give you heaven. He also gave you Jesus to transform your life on earth. As Shellie says, “I choose to think about how God broke the bank (so to speak) to give eternal life to the whole mess of us.” The first step to embracing God’s Big Vision for your life is accepting His gift, surrendering to it.
Realize that your gift to God is your witness to the world. God gives us grace, and that’s not something we should keep to ourselves! As I shared the good news of God’s grace with others, doors opened for me in amazing ways. God’s Big Vision is that His name is known. This is His will, it is no mystery! And as I stepped out my vision was enlarged, and my goals for my life changed. As I sought God, my “dreams” for my life were no longer about me … but about following Him and sharing His truth in numerous ways.
Ignore the quaking in your boots. Could you imagine the fear that came over the shepherds to see heavenly beings hovering above them? Yet because they were willing to be brave and seek out the Christ Child, they got to experience something all of us wish we could have been a part of … Jesus in the manger. Yes, you may be afraid of God’s vision, but backing away from it will mean you’re missing out!

There is no doubt that the vision God will give you will scare you. You’ll feel unsure and weak. That’s okay, because God not only gives us a vision of what He wants to do with our lives, He gives us Himself. We’ll only be able to ignore the quaking in our boots when we depend on the Holy Spirit within us.

The vision that God calls us to will often bring anxiety, but when we depend on Him He’ll pour in the strength too. God doesn’t call us to great tasks and then leave us to our own devices. When we step out to follow His vision, He will strengthen us to step out of our comfort zones. And it’s there where we’ll discover the Christ in ways we never expected! It’s there we’ll see a glimpse of how big God’s vision for each of us really is.

How about you? How can you share Christ with the world? Take one step, and I guarantee God will enlarge your vision for you!

Download the printable at Shellie’s website!

God always desires to conceive in us a bigger vision than the one we’re imagining #HeartWideOpen

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June 11, 2014 by Tricia Goyer 6 Comments

A Lesson on Time

In my life, I don’t have any real enemies, but if there is one intangible thing that I always seem to be fighting against, it’s TIME. It robs me when I need him most. It turns little cares into big concerns when it hurries on and I still have no answer. Every tick-tick it takes me one step closer to “never getting all this done.”

I remember a time in my life when TIME was particularly frustrating. TIME ticked away on a house that we really needed to sell. TIME meant money, as we paid a house payment for an empty house. It meant being unsettled, because over half of our stuff was in storage as we rented in our new location.

Of course, even though I’d like to place a dark cape and a mask on TIME, that’s not where the problem is. TIME … and the ticking down of it … isn’t something I need to fight against. Instead, as God’s been revealing to me lately, TIME is a tool in His hand that is used to reveal what is really in my heart. Mostly, misplaced security.

Time is a tool in His hand that is used to reveal what is really in my heart @TriciaGoyer

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I remember being frustrated because our house hadn’t sold in the TIME I wanted it to, and God showed me my lack of trust in Him … and my dependance on things of this world. He showed me that I look to home ownership as success and security. He pointed out my false heart-belief that when we bought a new home in our new location, only then we’d “arrived.”

God opened my eyes to this by leading me to Psalm 30:15. “My times are in your hands,” David said. God is in control of TIME. Of all the events that seem to take way too long. I needed to hear that.

Some lessons can only be learned over time … and discovering the truth what is in my heart is one of them. If our house had sold right away, and we’d moved into a nice place in our new city, I never would have realized how much trust I’m placing in things more than God.

God has also reminded me lately that He lives outside of TIME. What seems to take forever I my eyes is just a blink of an eye to Him. TIME may feels like it’s throwing me punches, but instead it’s a tool that God’s using to mold and shape me.

So even though the clock is still ticking, I’m realizing more and more that God can be trusted all TIMES. He’s my security. And TIME isn’t an enemy when its in God’s hands. TIME is a tool.

Lord, mold me through the tick, tick, tock.

Time is not the enemy. God uses it to mold and shape us! @TriciaGoyer

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Steps You Can Take

When you catch yourself getting inpatient, ask yourself “Why?”
Pinpoint what is at the root of your frustration with time. Is it money, the unknown, insecurity, lack of faith?
Surrender your requests to God, knowing he is in control of time.
Wait patiently for God’s time, remembering to look for what God is teaching you.

Daily Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,

I like to be in control and know what is going to happen next. Help me release that control to you and trust your perfect timing. May I catch myself in those moments when I start whining and complaining when it comes to waiting. Instead, help me take a deeper look at what you are teaching me. Continue to mold me and shape me into the person you made me to be … no matter how long that takes!

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Resources You Might Like:

God Had a Plan for Your Life: The Discovery that Makes All the Difference by Charles F. Stanley
Plan B: What Do You Do When God Doesn’t Show Up the Way You Thought He Would? by Pete Wilson

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