Wait? I don't wanna! :(

  I've had my mind on this all day...  I have two precious friends who are in the middle of waiting on things that will change their lives for the good.  I know from experience that waiting is REDICULOUSLY hard!

I'm not sure if it's always been this much torture for people to exercise patience or if it's worse now because we've trained ourselves toward immediate gratification through things like fast food, microwaves, cliff notes, crash diets and technology.  We are so blessed to have these things, but what happens when slowing down and having no control are the only options?  I am learning that there is so much peace in finally laying it all down and trusting God to fulfill His perfect will for us.  He is the one on the hill with an uninhibited view of the whole forest.  I'm stuck down here right up next to a huge tree and it blocks me from seeing the whole picture.  If I can stop fretting over every detail of this one tree and simply allow God to guide my steps, I'll get to experience the beauty of the sights, sounds and smells of the shaded path He laid out for me on the day I was created.

So, is this quest more about faith or patience?  The Bible says in Prov. 13:12, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life."  Over the past couple of years, as I have waited for God to do something in my life, this was the verse that would constantly be brought to my remembrance.  You must be willing to WAIT for the "dream" to be accomplished in order to receive the "tree of life" and you must have the FAITH to believe it's the "tree of life" that you are waiting for in order to be able to function in your "hope deferred".  In other words....  It requires faith to wait and you usually have to wait when God requires faith... The end result, a.k.a. the "tree of life", is always worth the time, tears, fears, prayers and endurance. 

I can't wait to rejoice with my friends in their "tree of life" moments.