On several occasions during the past 59 1/2 years I have found myself sequestered in one of the "waiting rooms of life." In fact, I'm in one now. Been here for 23 months. I am wondering if/when the Lord is going to open a new door of ministry for me. Most pastoral search committees (and a well-intentioned friend or two) think I am "too old." Yesterday I read an article published in the most recent alumni news publication of Dallas Theological Seminary ("Dallas Connection") that was titled "What Does Age Have to Do with Ministry?" It is written by Mel Sumrall (ThM 77), the founder and pastor emeritus of Denton Bible Church in Denton, TX. He is an octogenarian (85 years old this coming September), and to celebrate his birthday he is planning to start a new church in another city. (Reminds me of Caleb in Joshua 14). Pastor Sumrall writes, "Age impacts ministry in a positive way. We must value life experience serving Christ. Nothing reduces time in the spiritual formation of a leader" (italics mine). I wish more pastoral search committees would take those sentences to heart!
But this post is not about growing old. It is about waiting. In the gracious, loving, and wise providence of God, I was able to attend the National Conference of the Grace Evangelical Society last week (April 19-22) at Southwest Seminary in Fort Worth, TX. I loved the entire conference, but I was especially blessed by Jody Dillow's message on "The Walk of Faith" from Hebrews 11:1-3. At the end of his presentation he read a poem that brought me to tears. Jody very graciously provided me with a copy of the poem that I immediately shared with my family. I'm not sure if Jody wrote the poem, or if the actual author is unknown. But I want to post it here for the encouragement of anyone else who may right now be sequestered by the Lord in one of the waiting rooms of life . . .
Wait On the Lord
Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried.
Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate,
And the Master so gently said, "Child, you must wait!"
"'Wait?' You say, wait!" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is Your hand shortened? Or have You not heard?
By FAITH I have asked, and am claiming Your Word.
"My future and all to which I can relate
Hangs in the balance, and You tell me to WAIT?
I'm needing a 'yes,' a go-ahead sign -
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign.
"And, Lord, You promised that if we believe
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And, Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry:
'I'm weary of asking! I need a reply!'"
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate,
As my Master replied once again, "You still must wait."
So, I slumped in my chair, defeated an taut
And grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting... for what?"
He seemed then to kneel and His eyes wept with mine,
And He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.
All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want - but, you wouldn't know ME.
"You'd not know the depth of my love for each saint;
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint;
You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there;
You'd not know the joy of resting in me
When darkness and silence were all you could see.
You'd never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of my Spirit descends like a dove;
You'd know that I give and I save . . . (for a start),
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of my heart.
"Nor the glow of my comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight;
The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God Who makes what you have LAST.
You'd never know should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that 'My grace is sufficient for thee.'
Yes, your dreams for your love ones overnight would come true,
But, oh the loss, if I lost what I'm doing in you!
So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see
That the GREATEST of gifts is to GET TO KNOW ME!
And though oft may my answers seem terribly late,
My wisest of answers is still but to 'WAIT!'"
And, from David's "poem" - the "lyrics" of a song found in the 40th Psalm of Israel's "hymnbook:"
I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry.
He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.
He has put a new song in my mouth - praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear, and will trust in the LORD.
(Psalm 40:1-4)
Similarly, in the words of a very old hymn, translated by John Wesley and usually sung to the tune of "Crown Him with Many Crowns" -
Give to the winds thy fears; hope and be undismayed.
God hears thy sighs and counts thy tears, God shall lift up thy head.
Through waves and clouds and storms, God gently clears they way;
Wait thou God's time; so shall this night soon end in joyous day.
So. . . Waiting, I wait . . . for answers from a God Who is never in a hurry, but is always on time - and Who makes all things beautiful in His time.
His grace STILL amazes me . . .
