April 8

Written by Bill Grandi on April 8th, 2019

My title is Waiting vs. NOW.

May I be honest and candid? I despise waiting. Go to one of the biggest stores and out of 15 checkouts only 2 or 3 are open. Wait in line. I’m driving and in some town/cities the lights are timed so as to turn RED by the time I get there. Wait on the light. I go to the local Circle K to get a drink and there are several people in front of me, all us being held up by an older man or woman spending their (possibly) measly pension on one after another lottery ticket…that they can’t make up their minds about. Wait. Waiting seems to be the story of my life.

To borrow Paul David Tripp’s thoughts:

We hope, we dream, and we wait. We cry, we plead, and we wait. We run, we work, and we wait. We minister, we serve, and we wait. We think, we study, and we wait. Sometimes we wait, we wait, and we wait. Such is life in the middle of God’s great, big redemptive story. So, with gritted teeth and emotions that fall short of joy, we resolve ourselves to the fact that we’ll have to wait. God is God and we are not; so what can we do? We wait. (a SHELTER in time OF STORM-p. 142)

This past weekend this whole concept came back to me in spades. A friend was succumbing to her year long battle that began as Stage 4 breast cancer.  I spent hours at the hospital over the past 2 months and then several hours this past weekend at the Hospice House.  Saturday. Twice on Sunday-couple hours Sunday afternoon then a return trip Sunday evening for another couple of hours. Just waiting. I received a text this morning at 5:27 from her husband that she had passed away.  Misty is with Jesus.

Waiting was hard. As her husband said Sunday night, I wish there would just be a miracle of healing or she would just go.  I don’t want to see her suffer any more. Waiting. I’ll admit my prayer was along that same line. “Please heal her or take her.” It was not to be until it was His time. I’m sorry i wasn’t there. But maybe God just wanted me out of the picture so they worshiped Him. May never know. It was contrary to my desire. I wanted it to happen while I was there, i.e. NOW! It was not to be. Wait.

“Father, help me to learn to wait. And wait patiently. Help me to get rid of the “Now” attitude and simply submit to the “Your will” attitude. Your plan is best.  Your timing is right.”

 

8 Comments so far ↓

  1. Ryan S. says:

    Bill, I am sorry for the loss of a friend… My condolences to her husband and family.

    Waiting is hard and especially when waiting involves pain and sorrow.

    That is the most difficult of waiting there is in my mind.

    My prayers are with the family this morning.

    • Bill Grandi says:

      Thanks Ryan. You have met Misty I suspect at the Tivoli. I agree waiting that involves pain and sorrow is possibly the toughest.

  2. Misty is healed in the arms of Jesus . . . Thanks be to God, and may He give us the strength and courage to simply wait upon Him.
    Blessings, Bill!

  3. Oh, Bill, I am so sorry for your loss. I am so grateful that The Holy Spirit’s Presence is NOW and you don’t have to wait for His comforting arms to be around you.

    • Bill Grandi says:

      Thanks Diane. My loss pales in comparison to her husband and 2 teenage children from her first husband. My heart aches for them.

      • Diane Ronzino says:

        I’m sure. My prayers are for all. But, Abba cares about your loss as well. I know you will allow Him to minister to you as well during this time.

  4. Lisa notes says:

    I’m so sorry for your loss, Bill. 🙁 I’ll be praying for the family. Waiting is definitely hard for me, too.

    My siblings and I took round-the-clock duties caring for my dad when he was dying. I had just gone home to sleep after an all-nighter with my dad, when my brother called to say Daddy had passed. I had so wanted to be there in the moment of release but had missed it.

    I’m sure your consistent care was still with Misty’s family in the moment of her passing, even if your physical presence wasn’t.