The Reason

Why am I beginning this blog? Because I want a place to share God's work in a more public area. For the past few years I have had a blog that I kept mostly private. It was a place for me to process and write. I needed a place to write for the sake of writing without thinking about other people reading it. After sharing about the blessings that came from my appendectomy, I realized that my writing could be used to encourage people on a larger scale--and a way to share what God was doing. So...I started this blog! Plus I have been so encouraged and challenged by following other people's blogs, so I want to give back. My other blog will remain as a private blog, but I hope to be updating both blogs from now on. :) I will update as God leads...which will likely come in clumps with times of silence...

Why did I call it "Graciously Waiting"?? Recently I have come to realize that life is a lot about waiting. There are the day-to-day times of waiting. Waiting to register my car. Waiting in the ER. Waiting for surgery. Waiting in line. Waiting in traffic. Waiting for food to cook. Waiting to hear back from an interview. Etc. Then there are the larger scale "Waitings" (yes, I just created a word!): Waiting to be fully recovered. Waiting to date. Waiting to be married. Waiting to be a mom. Waiting to start grad school. Waiting for a job. Etc. These are examples of things I am waiting for in my life, but I am sure each of you, no matter what stage you are in, can substitute your own list!
Life continues as we wait. Time doesn't stop. And in the area of the "Waitings," God continues to have things for us to do, no matter where we are! (Maybe it is "waiting for the kids to grow up" or "waiting for the kids to visit"). Let's be honest: waiting is not fun. It tends to drive us crazy. We begin to think "If only this phase of waiting would end, then..." God has been convicting me of this thought process continually. These "Waitings" cannot define our lives. While I am single, I can choose to enjoy this phase--and embrace what God brings for me to do! While I wait for a job, I can still fill my days with things that are fulfilling. While I wait to begin my career, God has things for me to keep me busy in the meantime. To sum it up, these times of waiting are not wasted time, but rather a time God can use. Intellectually I have known this for the big things. During my time in the hospital a couple weeks ago, God brought clarity to a challenge He had been hinting at for years: Will I be a "Demanding Waiter" or  a "Gracious Waiter." I've seen clear examples of both. As a Christian, which displays better displays Christ in my daily life: demanding I be the next patient seen since I had waited hours or showing grace to the nurses? Getting angry at the cashier because I had to wait or smiling and interacting with the cashier? These are just a few examples that I have come across. I've seen examples of both. Do you see a key word in the first examples?? "I"! When did life become a long string of entitlements to me?!?! Each person we interact with is a chance to show God's grace to, even if we have to wait longer than we would like. Through this season of waiting in my life, God has laid out a clear challenge to me: to live my life Graciously Waiting.
Again, these examples are strongly tied to my stage of life as these are what I am acquainted with, but I pray that the lessons can extend into your stage of life...and challenge you to change your view of waiting!
And so, my title "Graciously Waiting" is the current stage of life I find myself in!

Stay tuned for updates on things God is doing in my life!