There are places in each of us that need the Lord's tenderness to attend to. None of us are completely whole. We have bruised hearts from past hurts, worries from present concerns and hopes for things that seem too far away for us to grasp. That's what the book, "Still Waiting" by Ann Swindell, is all about. In her debut book, Ann shares with her readers her personal story on waiting for God's healing. This past month, Pearls of Hope completed this book and embarked on a journey... a journey of waiting.
"But... how can you journey in waiting? Isn't that contradictory?", you might be wondering.
Well, for the first 3 chapters, I thought the same thing. Many of the girls expressed their confusion from the start because the book's focused seemed to be more on healing than on waiting. The author was courageous in sharing her personal story, though at times it felt as if she were stuck in her waiting for healing. But as we turned each page and found ourselves at the end of our 14th book, we realized that waiting is a journey, because it's in those places where we feel uncomfortable, unheard and forgotten, God begins to draw us nearer to Himself.
"We don't always understand what God does or doesn't do. But we always know- we always know-that he loves us"- Ann Swindell
Waiting is a journey, not just for us, but also for the Lord to come and minister to us with His healing, His hope and ultimately the tenderness of His love.
"Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest". -Matthew 11:28
"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you"- James 4:8
In Christ, there is rest for our souls. In our waiting moments: when the next job seems forever away, in our singleness, in a lonely marriage or when we find ourselves begging God for conception, where ever we find ourselves waiting, God is right there with us! We never have to wait alone and the lessons that we learn in those moments that seem so stagnant, well, they propel us into the future that God had intended for us all along.
He loves us, especially in our waiting, and He invites us to allow Him to produce His presence in us, while He tends to the tender places that needs His gentle touch. So, in our waiting, while we ask for healing and direction, favor and victory, we know that we do not wait in vain. Our God loves us, and He is always for us!
Find rest for your soul in your waiting. You are never alone.
Katrina McCain, President
