A Spring of Joy

These days of waiting are hard. I want to know what’s coming down the pipeline. I want to know when my surgery will be. I want to know if I have cancer again and if so, if it has spread. I want to know what scans and treatments await. I want to know what the next months will look like for my family and me. I want to know… I want to know… I want to know… and I grow impatient. Impatient with the pain and the fear and the struggle.

My friend, Donna, visited this past weekend. Faithful to write, send cards, pray, and update her Bible study full of strangers who are also praying for me, Donna has always had a way to encourage me. This weekend, she made me sit down and listen to the song, While I’m Waiting, by John Waller. And I was humbled, convicted, encouraged, and uplifted.

I have made this my mantra these past days as I wait–that while I’m waiting I will serve him. While I’m waiting I will worship Him. I am choosing this posture of worship, and even in that choice, my God is worshipped.

As we go through our Exodus series in church, I am reading through the book of Exodus on my own, and I am enthralled with the imagery that the wilderness brings. One thing that has struck me is something that Burress also touched on this past week… that the wilderness was place away from the gods of Egypt… away from the worship of Pharoah. And I thought about how the wilderness was a safe place, a place where the Israelites could daily worship. Worship could become their lifestyle. Daily. In that waiting place. They were free to worship. And while they failed, miserably sometimes, they found forgiveness over and over and it led them back to worship.

So, like the Israelites, I will fail miserably, but I will find forgiveness, and I will continue to worship. And I will continue to wait. And I am hopeful.

I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience

While I’m waiting
I will serve You
While I’m waiting
I will worship
While I’m waiting
I will not faint
I’ll be running the race
Even while I wait

I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it’s not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience

While I’m waiting
I will serve You
While I’m waiting
I will worship
While I’m waiting
I will not faint
I’ll be running the race
Even while I wait

I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting
I will serve you while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting on You, Lord

(© 2007 Travelin’ Zoo Music (ASCAP) (admin. by EMI CMG Publishing)