Waiting

I'm not going to pretend like I'm the ONLY one who thinks she is waiting on God most of her life. When the heart longs dearly, it's hard to imagine that anyone else could long just as dearly, but I'm sure it is so.

I did some thinking this morning and I realized that God's people could be characterized as a "waiting" people. There's the obvious Messianic waiting of the Jews and waiting for Christ's return. But there are SO many other stories about waiting and yearning. I think of Hannah yearning for a child and Noah waiting for the flood. I commiserate with the Israelites who were led out of slavery in a somtimes-dramatic-sometimes-humdrum fashion. I think it's hilarious that they were pushed through a sea on dry land in Hollywood hoopla and then when they got to the other side, it was, well, a lot of non-scenic walking.

Recently there is a Bible story which really puzzles me. It comes from Exodus 15:22 in the Bible. The Israelites were walking through the desert (having recently escaped from Egyptian captivity) and had been without water for three days. When they finally found water, it was too bitter to drink and they were ticked. Naturally they started to complain. The LORD told Moses to cast a tree into the waters to make the water drinkable. Then the LORD told his people, basically, to stop squealing.

Now here's the part I don't get: Right after this little fiasco of faith, the LORD takes them a little further where there were TWELVE wells of water and SEVENTY palm trees. God was testing them. He made them wait a long time for a basic need (water) and then he then takes them to a... resort?

I think God is telling his people that he created and therefore owns everything. He can dish out wealth or poverty as he so chooses. And above all, I think God desperately wants his children to believe him in all circumstances.

Now here's where I take it personally: My husband and I had a disagreement about buying a house recently. I wanted a house. He wanted to be able to pay for it. At the time, he didn't feel comfortable making an offer. I wanted this house because it was pretty and perfect for us; I was already mentally moving into that house. But the house sold. Then I got to self-pity and thought that God probably would make us buy another fixer upper and we'd live in squalor for five years with sawdust in our hair.

That's not Biblical thinking. First of all, hello! SEVENTY palm trees and TWELVE wells of water can't be wrong: God is rich. And let's not forget that God likes nice stuff, too. He didn't exactly make his temple a shack. God likes aesthetics.

But God also likes faith.

I'm really not sure where Dan and I will live. We're still in that "wandering" part of the house search. But I'm going to fight my insecurities (Oy vey!) and put some faith on for a change.