This morning I was dropping my kiddos off at a friend's house. We were literally blocks from her house when I realized I had accidentally left the bag at home. We had to turn around and go back to get it.
The kids began to boisterously complain. "What are you doing? Her house is that way! Why are we turning around? Are we not going there at all? You SAID we were going to their house!"
"Did Mom promise you you'd get to go there today?" Yes.
"Does Mama lie?" No.
"Can you trust me?" (Silence)
The parallel was almost comical.
Here I sit. And wait. I wake up every morning like a pregnant woman in her 10th month of pregnancy, wondering if today will be the day we find out we can fly to Ethiopia to meet our precious boy...the one we see growing up in pictures, but whom we've never met.
And I ask my God the same whiny questions. "What are you doing?! Don't you see that plane ticket prices go up in June? Why is it taking so long? Why are you doing this to us?"
His response? "You'll see."
Now, I know God doesn't forget anything--like I forgot that bag. Instead, the Bible promises us that His thoughts and His ways are higher than ours. In other words, He sees things we can't see. Just like today, I knew what my kids did not. I knew that making them wait a short while longer would do a few things for them.
1. It would protect them. I had packed hats and sunscreen.
2. It would ensure they wouldn't grow weary. I'd packed food and water.
3. It would make the trip more enjoyable for them. I'd packed dry clothes for after swimming.
So was I being mean to them by making them wait? Did it FEEL to them like I was being mean? Or was I going to make the morning so much better by making them wait?
Here's the delicate balance I find myself walking sometimes hourly these days. Am I going to BELIEVE that I've got a GOOD Daddy who's allowing me to walk in this beautiful adventure with Him? That He's got fun surprises in store for us? While I don't understand what it is that He is up to, it is going to be good, because He loves me? Or am I going to question His every move and be a bundle of nerves and fear?
Either way, I'm going to end up on Ethiopian soil sooner or later.
And then it'll all make sense.
This wait.
The "You'll see." that He's promised.
What it is He's prepared for us. I cannot wait to share all the cool things that unfold.
Because He is perfect.
He is never late.
And He is GOOD.
You'll see.
