Trying to Line Up the Ducks

I am an organizer. A planner. I really like for my ducks to be in a row, and it makes me crazy when they start milling about uncontrollably.

This creates a dilemma at times when my planning intersects my faith and patience in waiting on God to intervene.

Case in point: My missionary sister returns to the USA this weekend for a time of Medical Leave. Which means I have been trying to locate a place for her to live and a vehicle to use, preferably at no cost or minimal cost to her. (The IMB pays missionaries based on the economy of the country in which they serve; my sister is in a third-world South American country.) Few churches have missionary residences any more; the one she has typically used during her Stateside Assignments (previously called furlough) is occupied for the foreseeable future.

Apartments quickly get expensive. And the uncertainty of having an open-ended timeframe - she could be here 2 months or 6 months or more - makes it really difficult to find something affordable and appropriate. Then there's the whole aspect of basic furniture and a car.

So as the last 3 weeks have passed and time barrels toward this weekend, I have gotten a bit more stressed out. I am perfectly fine with God showing up at the last minute with provision. I would just like Him to tell me He's gonna show up! But alas, while He's never late, He's also never early. And since He created the ducks, He can certainly get them lined up correctly.

So I wait and wait and wait. . . .

And my God will meet all your needs
according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:19)
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him
Psalm 37:7

I waited patiently for the LORD;
He turned to me and heard my cry.
Psalm 40:1
I wait for You, O LORD;
You will answer, O Lord my God
Psalm 38:15

I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for Him."
The LORD is good to those whose hope is in Him,
to the one who seeks Him;
it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.
Lamentations 3:24-26


Somehow it doesn't surprise me that there are no Scripture verses containing the word ducks!

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Wait! It's Time for Random Dozen!

1. How good are you at delaying gratification?

Moderately. It depends on what it is. I always wanted to open the last present under the Christmas tree. I'd rather celebrate a birthday or Christmas a day or two late than early.

But spiritually it's a whole 'nother story: I want to have the gain without the pain, and sooner rather than later!

I am extraordinarily patient, provided I get my own way in the end. ~Margaret Thatcher

2. Maybe a marshmallow wouldn't be too difficult a temptation for you. What food (or anything else) would be most tempting?

Warm homemade chocolate chip & pecan cookies. A new novel by one of my favorite artists.

What makes resisting temptation difficult for many people is they don't want to discourage it completely. ~Franklin P. Jones

3. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being saintly) how patient are you?

It depends on the day. Sometimes I'm an 8 or nine, and on other days a negative 23. It helps that I no longer have small children!

The real menace in dealing with a five-year-old is that in no time at all you begin to sound like a five-year-old. ~Joan Kerr, Please Don't Eat the Daisies, 1957

4. Have you ever waited for something in life only to be disappointed upon realization of the goal/object/etc.?

Lots of times. Pregnancy was one--well, two!--of those times. As in the actual pregnancy, not the baby (which was way more wonderful than I could dream!). I eagerly anticipated that time in my life, but that so-called first trimester morning sickness lasted 20 and 24 weeks and involved much heaving at all times of the day. Then I had marathon labors - 27 & 26 hours. It was definitely worth it, but those 9x2=18 months weren't at all what I had hoped for.

Age does not diminish the extreme disappointment of having a scoop of ice cream fall from the cone. Jim Fiebig

5. Are you a person who takes shortcuts?

I prefer to call it being efficient! Except when baking, which has to be from scratch.

How can a society that exists on instant mashed potatoes, packaged cake mixes, frozen dinners, and instant cameras teach patience to its young? ~Paul Sweeney

6. Which line is hardest to wait in?

The slowest one! Especially when there's some idiot poor soul that is clueless and can't get their act together. Why do people wait until the total is announced before digging out their checkbook and starting to make out their check?! Or sit through three changes of a light when in traffic, and then they aren't paying attention when it finally turns green?

Hmm, this appears to be one of those "negative 23" days!

Patience is something you admire in the driver behind you and scorn in the one ahead. ~Mac McCleary

7. Did you wait to discover the gender of your unborn child until its birth?

No. I always said I would, but when some nieces and nephews had some issues, I had to have specialty sonograms (and an amnio with my girl); I did NOT want surprises in the delivery room! And my man, whose picture is in the dictionary next to the word engineer, had to have a concrete gender to discuss names.

An optimist will tell you the glass is half-full; the pessimist, half-empty; and the engineer will tell you the glass is twice the size it needs to be. ~Anonymous

8. Are you more patient with children or the elderly?

Whichever one I'm not related to! Actually, I adore old people.

When grace is joined with wrinkles, it is adorable. There is an unspeakable dawn in happy old age. ~Victor Hugo

9. Did you ever sneak a peek at a present?

Not intentionally. I LOVE surprises (well, except for #7!) and I am kinda hard to surprise. Between my mom frequently (but inadvertently) leaving out a receipt or a bag labeled with a particular store, and the fact that I'm just sometimes intuitive and pick up on subtle things, I haven't had a whole lot of wide-eyed moments! One Christmas when I was a kid, I was looking to see who the gifts under the tree were for that my mom had wrapped while we were at school that day, and I accidentally saw through the paper of one and knew I was getting my Holly Hobbie doll. I was so bummed.

There's nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child. ~Erma Bombeck

10. What is the longest you've ever waited for anything?

Marriage. I was 27 when I got married, and the years between college and meeting my man when I was 25, were torturous. They were the years of the "I could open up my own shop with all the bridesmaid dresses in my closet."

I never thought it was worth it, you know waiting for your love, and then I felt your kiss, I could wait forever for this.~Anonymous

11. Who has more patience, you or your significant other?

I have more patience with things, especially looking for misplaced things or when something doesn't work right. He generally has more patience with the kids, which I think is mostly because he's not around them as much as I am.

Patience is a virtue, Possess it if you can,
Seldom found in woman, Never found in man.
~Anonymous

12. Which of the following songs about waiting is your pick for the best? (OK, you may substitute another, if you like.)

A) Anticipation by Carly Simon
B) The Waiting by Tom Petty
C) Right Here Waiting for You by Richard Marx
D) Wait for Me by Rebecca St. James

I'm not familiar with any of them except A, which of course always makes me think of this:



But my all-time favorite song about waiting?

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in His Word I put my hope.
Psalm 130:5

I know you can't wait to join in this fun meme, so hurry over to 2nd Cup of Coffee!

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