While you wait.

“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry” Luke 15:20-24, NKJV.

I have been waiting for some broken relationships to be restored. For years, I have been waiting for lost family members to be found. I have been waiting for that blessed phone call that makes you ugly cry from your soul because you’ve been praying nonstop for God to do it and He did, praying nonstop for someone to return to the Lord and they did, praying nonstop for change and God changed it. It’s been a dog fight to hang on to my faith and trust God, but God’s been helping me hang in there.

Staring out at the empty road like the prodigal son’s father must have. I imagine he would wake up and go out, looking for some sign of hope that his son was still alive. But he found none, and so he went back to caring for his family, his servants, his livestock and land. When his son finally came home, he had a fatted calf ready, meal ingredients ready, a new robe, and a ring ready to put on his finger.

That could have went down a completely different way. His son could have left with his inheritance and his father could have completely lost it, falling into a deep pit of depression, while everything grew weeds, the cattle died, the servants left and his oldest son grew tired and left from him refusing comfort and choosing to be stuck in the mud of self-pity.

But while his son was lost, what did he do, my sister? He continued to tend to his family, his servants, his livestock and land, so much so, that when his son returned home, he had a fatted calf ready, a meal ready to prepare, a clean robe to put on him and a ring.

I know you’ve been waiting for God to do it for you and your family. You’ve been waiting and looking down the road. It’s been a fight of faith and you’ve been resisting the urge to fall into deep despair and lose all hope. Resisting the temptation to doubt God’s love and stop praying or doing anything related the the Lord.

I encourage you, while you wait, keep living. Keep caring for the people in your life. Keep nurturing the gifts and callings He has put in your hands. Keep tending to the things God had entrusted to you. Keep those food ingredients ready so that when God does it, you have something to make to celebrate God’s goodness. Keep living while you trust God to do what He promised you.

Prayer: Father, thank you for encouraging me today. Help me wait well. Minister strength to my faith and my resolve to trust you. You are a good Father and you love and care for me. Strengthen my heart. Help me continue to tend to the responsibilities you’ve placed in my care. I choose to believe what you have spoken. You are my living hope and I love you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Read Luke 15:11-32