It is so hard to be still, to be quiet, to be patient, towait.

Waiting is the hardest for me. I am taught by everything around me,television, radio, movies, billboards, the newspaper, and evenfriends, that I don’t have to wait for anything. I tend to believethat.

I want what I want and I want it right now!

Recently my husband and I were talking about a certain situation inour lives and the word “wait” suddenly came to me. “Let’s justwait,” I said. “Don’t do anything right now. Let’s wait and see howthings happen.”

It proved to be good advice.

Waiting is hard. I see something I want but I can’t have it until Ican afford it. What is the first thing I want to do? It’s certainlynot “wait.” I want to whip that charge card out and buy that suckerright now. Not tomorrow, not next week and certainly not nextyear.

Putting off something that I know could be a pleasant experiencecauses frustration in my life.

But, you know what? When I wait as I should, the satisfaction Ireceive from finally being able to have the object of my desire isso much sweeter than if I had put my budget in jeopardy bypurchasing when I first saw it.

We are told by God many, many times in the Bible to “wait.”Sometimes he uses the words “be still.” He also uses “be quiet.” Iput them all in the same category.

When we are still and quiet we are waiting. When I am still andquiet I am also listening. When I finally stop and wait in thatstill and quiet mode I can hear God speaking.

Is it no wonder that God gets so frustrated with me when I runabout from one thing to another trying to satisfy my wants tooquickly? In all the hustle and hurry in my life, waiting does notseem to be an option but when I do stop, wait, be still, and listenI find that I can gather my thoughts more easily and can make myplans in a more organized manner. Then, and only then, can the lifethat God wants for me happen.

One of my favorite verses comes from the book of Jeremiah: “For Iknow the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harmyou, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Is that not wonderful? Well, if I don’t wait on God to speak orlisten for his voice how will I ever know his plan for me?

Sounds like a pretty good plan, too. If God wants to give me a hopeand a future what else do I need? Sometimes all I can do is hope. Ihave nothing to go on and not a thing to offer toward making myfuture look brighter but that hope I have in God’s abilities toprosper me can power me through the rough times in life.

All of us are going through rough times right now. It might bebusiness or personal, spiritual or emotional but everyone hassomething that seems to be holding him back. All I can say is thatthere is hope out there. Our God does not want us to lack foranything. When one door closes, we can always find an open windowor crack in the wall big enough for us to get through. But first wemust wait, sit still, and listen. God will find a way to show usthe way out.

When I wait, God acts in my stead. When I listen he speaks words ofcomfort and wisdom. When I am still he gives me the energy to dothe things I need to do to make his hope and plan for my futurecome into being.

Isn’t that amazingly wonderful!

Have a great week!

Write to Sue Minter at P.O. Box 551, Brookhaven, MS 39602, or sende-mail to minterjj@bellsouth.net.