I am sure that every Christian has had periods in their life when there are many possibilities surrounding them, and they are faced with making tough, yet necessary decisions. It is in times like this when we pray so hard about what to do, and attempt to wait diligently, patiently, and carefully to hear from our Heavenly Father. It is also in times like this that our Father may make us wait, and when He does not answer our prayers and questions, or give us guidance and directions, immediately or after a short period of time, we begin to wonder if He is even listening to our becoming calls. We begin to wonder if God is interested in our desires. We even may begin to wonder where He is, and if He has left us.
Our Father is mysterious. He does everything on His own time and does not have to answer to anyone about anything. He already has our life plan mapped out and knows exactly what it will take in order for us to grow and be prepared and presentable for the day that we will meet Him in His kingdom. God may use these waiting times to grow us up spiritually and actually make us closer to Him.
I feel like I am in one of these transitional times in my life right now, and quite honestly, things are not happening as fast as I would like for them to. As I have grown into adulthood, I have grown to actually love these periods of my spiritual growth because I am always excited because I KNOW that God is up to something and my testimony of these times in my past serve as my proof that it is always going to be something good. These are the times that I like to call transitional times or times of maybe. You know about these times:
Maybe I will get the new job or promotion....I just haven't heard back from the boss yet.
Maybe I will get the new house....I just haven't heard back from the realtor yet.
Maybe I will lose the weight....I just haven't been exercising for very long, so I don't see results yet.
Maybe I will _________________ (You fill in the blank)
It is in these "maybe" times that we pray the hardest to our Father. Why? It is very simple. We want something from Him. Some Christians think that this is wrong, but we have a Father/child relationship and children always want or need something from their parents. God uses this time to make us wait for our answer because it draws us closer to Him, as we spend more time in conversation with Him. When we recognize this concept, we needn't wonder if He is listening or if He really cares. The fact is He cares tremendously enough to know what will keep us dependent on Him and humble.
We become humble in our prayers during these maybe times more than ever because we recognize that the desires of our hearts can only be given through the power of God. We know that God can work miracles and sometimes the things that we are seeking out may take a miracle for us to receive. For example, One may know that they have poor credit and will most likely be turned away by a lender for a new home, but because of their faith in our Father, they fill out the application anyway, and wait patiently for an acceptance or rejection call. It is in this time that God may feel far because they pray and pray but feel that they have not heard or seen a "sign" that God has it all worked out. My friends, it is in this time when God really has His hands on us! It is in this time when God has us right where He needs us; humble, available, a heart to serve, in fervent conversation with Him, and ready to grow. He places His hands on us and the situation. God is always working things out for our good, even if our maybe turns into the "No" that we did not want to hear. (Romans 8:28)
Spiritual Reflections
1. When have you been in a "maybe" time in your life? How did it work out in the end for you?
2. What are some ways that you can grow closer to God so that in your "maybe" times, you will be able to feel God in the midst of your wait?
3. I am a person of little patience. I know that anytime I am in a "maybe" time God is growing my patience which is a characteristic of Christ who I should strive to be more like. How do you see God growing you in your "maybe" times?
4. Write a short prayer to God thanking him for your "maybe" times.
