Working in the Waiting Room

Hello blog fans!  Let me start off by saying I sincerely apologize for having neglected you for so long.  This particular post is something I have felt God dealing with me about for quite awhile.  I have held off writing this post because this lesson has been a long time coming, and I wanted to do it justice when I finally did put it down in words.  It may seem a bit scattered (as per usual) so bear with me.

A few weeks ago at Bible study we were discussing the purpose of trials.  The subject of waiting on Landon’s miracle came up, and Bethany said something that really made me reevaluate my whole view on how I was living my life.  She said, “I firmly believe that God is going to heal Landon, but I also believe there is someone out there that we haven’t met yet whose life and salvation depend on meeting Landon and hearing his story.  Instead of praying for his miracle to come, I am praying for that person, whomever they may be.”  I thought, “Wow! What faith! Here she is, faced daily with a situation that most people would never have the courage and strength to withstand, and instead of just praying to have the trial over she is praying to be used in the midst of it.  She is praying for the salvation of a person she has never even met.”

As I was sitting in the waiting room of the doctor’s office the other day, I looked around and noticed everyone in the waiting was just killing time.  We were playing on our phones, looking at a magazine, staring at the ceiling. We were all just playing “the waiting game.”  I feel like that is how I have been waiting for Landon’s miracle.  I have sat in the waiting room, frustrated that God hasn’t called us back to receive our miracle, counting the ceiling tiles as hurting people sit right next to me who just need someone to pray for them.

When I was contemplating writing this blog post, God brought something to my attention.  In Luke 23:34 we find Jesus hanging on the cross making one final request.  He wasn’t asking to be taken down from the cross, or making any sort of demand for Himself.  He said “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Because of what Jesus suffered through, salvation was brought to the whole world.  When He was on the cross He wasn’t concerned with Himself, He was praying for you.  That is a sobering thought. Reading this portion of scripture, I can’t help but think of Bethany’s statement.  What would happen if we stopped praying to be removed from our trial, and instead started praying for the people whose life it could affect?  What if I started praying, “God send someone my way whose life I can touch because of my trial”?  What would happen if we stopped playing the “waiting game”, and started doing something?  What if we made the waiting room a prayer room instead?

Living, laughing, and loving,

LeeAnna