I’m In Destiny’s “Waiting Room”

“… Some major life transitions take time … When you find yourself at a major intersection, remember to give yourself the gift of time.  Be gentle with yourself as you navigate the stages and the emotions that accompany being at an intersection.”  (Crossing Intersections, page 47)

God’s destiny for you and me takes time.  Esther spent much time learning the ways of the palace with no assurance that she would ever be chosen by King Ahasuerus.  She chose to listen to and obey Mordecai and the King’s eunuch, which eventually led to the emancipation of the Jews.  The Bible does not tell us what Esther’s feelings were during the preparation.  It only describes her obedience and humility.

I think I am in a transition.  Where am I transiting to?  I do not know.  Where is God leading me in the next step?  I have no clue.  I take on whatever comes my way for now, while I faithfully continue in prayer and the Word.  Daily disciplines are simply that: discipline.  I have read my Bible and spent time in prayer for years.  It was only several months ago that I realized how God views my daily discipline.  My friend said to me one morning as I was reading my Bible in bed, “You’re constantly preparing.  God sees you every time you read your Bible like that.  You are in preparation.”  I listened but what she said did not sink in until months later when I was preparing a sermon.  Within an hour, I had it done and ready to go.

“I will prepare myself and one day my time will come.” – Abraham Lincoln

Preparation is not fun.  It is discipline.  It means spending countless hours alone when no one is awake, going through exercises that few care to do and persevere in.  Preparation time is transition time.  I can let up and slack off anytime I so desire.  No one is watching.  No one will know.  Will I feel guilty? Maybe.  Will my destiny be fulfilled?  Possibly, but not in the fullness of what God intended it to be.

We will face transitions frequently in life.  Transitions are a given.  How we react at the crossroads is not.  If I have been preparing myself daily in prayer and the Word, I will less likely be ruffled when I get to the transition.  Transitions are not always fun.  Often, they are painful and lonely.  I cannot see where I am headed now.  What seems like open doors are not happening yet.  Promises made have yet to be fulfilled. 

After two years, I realized that trying to run my own business is just not me.  I had spent a lot of money and saw no monetary returns.  When I closed the business, I said, “These two years have been a learning experience.  I have learned all about social media marketing and how the internet works.  I am now confident in posting things on the web.  All this will help greatly in my future job.”  Was I bitter? No.  I was, and still am, at rest.  One chapter of my life has closed. 

The next chapter is in the planning, but the circumstances to make it happen are beyond my control.  In the meantime, I am still in transition.  I continue to prepare myself.  Someday my time will come. 

May God be glorified in the transition and in the fulfillment of His destiny for me.