"Wait" a Poem by Russell Kelfer

Wait

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried.

Quietly, patiently, lovingly, He replied.

I pleaded, and I wept for a clue to my fate,

And the Master so gently said, "Child, you must wait."

"Wait? Your say wait??" my indignant reply.

"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why.

Is your hand shortened?  Or have you not heard?

By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming your Word.

"My future, and all to which I can relate

Hangs in the balance, and you tell me 'wait'?

I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign,

Or even a 'no', to which I can resign.

"And Lord, you have promised that if we believe, 

We need but ask, and we shall receive.

And Lord I've been asking, and this is my cry:

"I'm weary of asking: I need a reply!"

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate

As my Master replied once again, "You must wait."

So I slumped in my chair; defeated and taut

And grumbled to God; "So I'm waiting, for what?"

He seemed then to kneel and His eyes met with mine

And He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.

I could shake the heavens, darken the sun,

Raise the dead, cause the mountains to run.

"All you see I could give, and pleased you would be.

You would have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me.

You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint;

You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.

"You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair;

You'd not learn to trust, just by knowing I'm there.

You'd not know the joy of resting in Me,

When darkness and silence was all you could see.

"You would never experience that fullness of love

As the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove.

You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,

But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

"The glow of My comfort late in the night;

The faith that I give when you walk without sight;

The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask

From an infinite God who makes what you have last.

"And you never would know, should your pain quickly flee,

What it means that 'My grace is sufficient for thee.'

Yes, your dreams for that loved one o'ernight could come true,

But the loss! if you lost what I'm doing in you!

"So be silent, my child, and in time you will see

That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.

And though oft' may My answers seem terribly late, 

My most precious answer of all....is still...wait." 

--"Wait" by Russell Kelfer taken from Hannah's Hope by Jennifer Saake pages 177-178 Copyright 2005

Through other people's eyes

You know that old song lyric, "You never know just how you look through other people's eyes"?

Well, this devo message made me think a little about that song, and mostly about one of my biggest fears and weaknesses.  At times, I feel like a geneticly engineered people pleaser.  I know I am this way, it's one of my biggest struggles.   You could say, " I was born this way."  Which is why I am amazed when God calls me to face my fears, and write things or say things from His Word when I feel acutely aware of the scrutiny of others.  That I am offending people, or it may result in someone I care about to avoid me, or maybe not, but I do fear that as a possible reality.  That's why this message really hit home for me, and has been on my mind and heart.


This excerpt is from October 12th's Jesus Calling devotional book.

"Beware of seeing yourself through other people's eyes. There are several dangers to this practice.  

First of all, it is nearly impossible to discern what others actually think of you.  Moreover, their views

 of you are variable: subject to each viewer's spiritual, emotional, and physical condition.  The major 

problem with letting others define you is that it borders on idolatry.  Your concern to please others 

dampens your desire to please Me, your Creator. 


It is much more real to see yourself through My eyes.  My gaze upon you is steady and sure, 

untainted by sin.  Through My eyes you can see yourself as one who is deeply, eternally loved.  Rest 

in My loving gaze, and you will receive deep Peace.  Respond to My loving Presence by worshiping 

Me in spirit and in truth."


God, help me to seek you, and to continually see myself through Your eyes.  That I am Your child, called out and redeemed for Your good purpose and pleasure.  Help me to see others through Your eyes as well.  Beloved creation, made in Your image, and dearly loved.  Amen.

That if....

What God says:


Romans 10:9 

"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is LORD," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." 

What people say: 

That if you......follow the Ten Commandments

That if you.....were sprinkled by water in baptism as an infant

That if you.....were dunked in water in baptism

That if you.....participate in the Sacraments 

That if you......pray


That if you.....serve the poor and needy


That if you.....have a special rosary blessed by the Pope

That if you.....have parents who gave money to the Church

That if you..... come from a good family 

That if you....donate money to the Church

That if you......reason with God

That if you....wear a cross necklace 

That if you.... wear a blessed scapular 

That if you.....appeal to the Saints

That if you....hold a high position in the Church

That if you....attend a Bible study


"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved.  (v 10a) For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified"


Once we are saved, we don't "move on" from the Gospel, we "move into" the Gospel.  The truth that "Jesus is LORD" is then applied to every aspect of my life.  I know Christians will say, because I have said it, "yeah, I know this, don't worry about me, I am saved." But the Good News needs to be retold to us, we need to hear it again and again, so that we continue to live it actively, not as something in our past.  As ones who have confessed "Jesus is Lord" we then move on to confess "Jesus is Lord...of my house, of my job, of my family, of my future, of my relationships, of my finances, of my time, and yes, even of my Facebook page..."

God is living and He is active! Help me Lord to grow up in You!