WAITING ON THE LORD

(This analogy I heard from Pastor Tony Evans and could totally relate, as I am sure you can too.)

Psalm 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

I, like many others, love to bowl. Many can relate when they go bowling, by renting the shoes, ordering food, then going to the bowling rack and choosing a ball that is offered to them that best fits their need to play.

Like many, one can go through the MOTIONS, making it seem like they know what they are doing. Tip toeing their way to the lane, looking at the arrows down below and throw the bowling ball in hope to score a strike! A strike seems more and more impossible as gutter ball after gutter ball is thrown. Frustrated that your score is not high, you begin to develop an "I don't care" attitude toward the game, but in the heart truly pondering that if you made a different choice in ball or form, that perhaps you would have a better chance to get a high score. Nevertheless, we are only here to have fun, right? It's just a game!

Well sad to say, many singles treat their hope of marriage like an amateur approach to bowling. It is common to just show up, get the attire needed for the game and go to the "bowling ball rack" and pick out for yourself whatever ball you think seems compatible for the moment. The options of balls are different weight, little nicks and cracks, colors and different size finger holes all to cram your fingers in and see which best fits.

Because of many reasons; getting older, everyone else is getting married, the holidays, etc. Singles will be tempted to do anything to just pick out a PREVIOUSLY USED "bowling ball" / mate that they think they could be compatible with. Go on a date, get married and eventually one will find that everything they touch together results in gutter balls.

But when you allow God to be involved in the choosing of your mate, your approach to marriage will be entirely different. This doesn't mean that marriage should not be a desire, but what I am pointing out is that you can not let your singleness keep you from allowing God to intervene in and through your life! Even in trusting Him to provide you that special somebody!

There is a difference however between an amateur bowler and an avid bowler. An avid or professional bowler takes a different approach to bowling. That person will by pass the rack, because they carry their own bowling ball with them. It is a ball that is CUSTOM to them and the way they approach the game of bowling. Their ball is perfect to the touch! It is weighed perfectly to compliment their form. It is sized in great length and width to their fingers, thus guaranteeing a more excellent bowled game.

When you put your trust in God for the right person, He will custom make the person for you! In the process of waiting upon The Lord, you will find also that if you allow Him, He will even custom make YOU for that special person too!

It is like New York pizza! A good pizza will have just perfect crust and all the goods on it! But before the goods are applied...sauce, pepperoni, garlic, basil, etc.. The dough must be kneaded! It has to be stretched out, flipped, flopped and so on, in order to be prepared for the "good stuff"! But get a "rebellious" hunk of dough that doesn't work with the one making the pizza, it won't make it's way to get any of the good stuff!

To all my single people out there, I known this first hand, that when you wait on The Lord, you got to allow God to stretch you and conform you more into the person He has called you to be, before bringing the good stuff (mate) into your life!

The times it presses you concerning your status of feeling lonely, take it to The Lord in prayer, but by all means don't allow this desire for marriage of whatever it is to quench you from walking in the calling God has upon your life!

I thank God, though totally oblivious to it at the time, that I was functioning in my calling before I met my wife to be. And it was while I was functioning, God brought her to me. At first we didn't look at each other in hopes of marriage, wondering to ourselves "is this the one?". We saw each other as fellow followers of Christ, seeking the ways of God together. Now everyone has a different story, I know that, but Laurel and I developed a great friendship that blossomed around the things of God.

But for those who don't have a story yet, I encourage you to allow God to custom make you and whoever He has for your life, while you are living for Him!

It was while Adam was functioning in His calling of naming the animals that he took notice all the animals had a mate, but him. That is when God put Adam asleep and brought out His mate, Eve. She was so custom made by the hand of God that Adam said she was bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. You can't get any more custom made than that! She wasn't the bone of anyone else, but she was for him and him for her! That is the result of when you wait on The Lord! As for me, I am discovering that in my fiancée more and more, and stand in amazement, because it was nothing like how I expected it to be before I ever met Laurel. I thank God for the calling and those He added to my life to keep me in the way, not knowing that in the midst of it all, God was preparing me a bride.

James 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work...

I encourage you now my friend, be strong and of good courage that God has everything in mind and even that special one in reserve for you! He knows your heart better than you do and He knows what will best compliment His purpose through your life, as well as that special someone's. Enjoy everyday with Christ, yet take and keep this desire in prayer and let God reveal it in His perfect timing! Though time is of the essence, God is in control of it and He can restore the years with new years and opportunities when He brings that special one into your life!

You might think it is easier now for me to say this since I am approaching marriage, but this is something I had to learn and walk out too for a season. I hope you are blessed and strengthened in your faith and confidence in God's provision and gift He has instore for your life!

God Bless