Waiting in God's sovereignty for His "Yes."

I had a dream while living in Ohio, on Oak Street, and I know it was from God for me and a friend of mine.  The message was "sometimes we have to wait for the healing, the hope, the realization of dreams."  So often the larger culture speaks to us with the a great and positive message, that in its part is good, but doesn't factor in the first and most important issue of God in someones life.

It deals with self-sufficiency and how we can overcome great odds with dedication and perseverance.  But when we fail to balance life's paradox with God's will and His sovereignty, with fate and submission, we fail to find our place in this world.  Instead we whole heartedly carve out some expectation of happiness we can grasp onto.  A lawn that fades to weeds and dust that once held dreams of training ground for the next Mickey Mantle.  The track home with al the gadgets, yet filled with noise and argument. These expectations live in the dreams of others that we have adopted since giving up on our own.

When we seem to exist in chaos, any life raft will do to pass the time, but it will not satisfy the desire to reach land. That was my dream, my friend was swimming to shore after surfing and now was with out a board.  She found out that she swam straight to the rocks where every attempt to best them only cut her and left her wounded as the waves crashed on her back.

I could see the blood on her hands and the frustration in her face as the sky darkened.   Then a voice seemed to speak out the rational sense of the situation, "swim out."  Wait.  Wait for the tide to fall and climb up or wait for the tide to rise and swim over.  I don't know how much the tide raises and falls on average.  But I know that in life, sometimes God calls us to wait on His favor and timing.

We question how long will we wait for it.  Longer then we want seems to be part of the answer for most of us.

With blood in the water and fears in our heart, as night looms we live.  Jesus constantly focuses us on the everlasting, because we are all too familiar with the temporal.  What fears can hold us back from life?  The ones that we give power to, the ones we choose to believe.  And in as much we are choosing to disbelieve that God is in control, that He loves us and uses everything the world throws our way for good and His glory.  That we would produce fruits of righteousness and faith as we walk along the path set for us and fruit of our calling still ahead.  All the while leaving a trail of the great stuff all around us as we fulfill His desire for us. A desire for us to take on the character that will suit His image.

Much like when God called Moses to save His people and promised He would be with him.  Yet as Moses worked on his task, God worked to show a pagan world a God not made of wood or metal.  One Gad not named by men in Germany, or, Zeus in Greece, an omnipotent "I am that I am."  His divine goals, besides fulfilling a promise to Abraham, was to proclaim the truth about Himself amongst our speculations.  His mighty acts resounded through the world that God is truly with these people.    

A wicked and adulterous generation seeks a sign, when a sign has already been given.  Some of us who find ourselves out at sea have not given up hope.  We create banners calling out for the Lord to visit us in this day and this time.  To be famous in our generation and make His name bright in our lives & relationship.  It is not for us to criticize the storm that swept across indiscriminately, because the world does not revolve around us, but the Lord's affection does.  We we see that, we find the strength to wait bloodied and bruised for for the tide to come in.  Aching and trembling we find the truth about our strength and power through His.  Somehow faith becomes physical when we use it and ushers in the something that makes the only difference in this world.  A world where our lives are flame dancing in a breeze with no assurance.

I don't know why to see the truth of ourself we must venture to the brink death to peer over into the everlasting, but with out waiting we will never have use for faith and with out faith it is said "it is impossible to please God."  

The I am that I am is and we are not.  There is a truth and I am not it.  But it would be a privilege to be light container.  One of a million lights out on the ocean reflecting the image of the heavens.  Severing as beacons for those around us.  Truly we have nothing to offer the prideful, the self sufficient.  Dedication is great, but when wading in the sea patience is needed over strength.  When you here a no from God, a wait.  All your efforts against it will be fighting a tide stronger then you brushing up against sharp circumstances.  Yet a different experience can be had for the one who chooses to rest a float in God's sovereignty.