Working in the waiting

It's Monday. The start to a fresh new week - brimming with potential and, just like the laundy basket, filled to overflow...

We are grateful to have the luxury of a washing machine here and although it still requires some 'manual' input, it's much less labour intensive than hand washing. However, the water pressure is low and makes it take ages to fill with water. So, to speed up the process, I fill buckets with water in the nearby basin to top up the drum. The water pressure at the basin is much better than at the machine, but it takes a good 2-3 minutes to fill a bucket.

And so I find myself standing at the basin, waiting and waiting... and watching and watching... The water level rises gradually, but every so slowly. You know the feeling: when you really want something to happen quickly and it feels like it's taking forever.

I'm reminded of the Psalms where it says "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope" (Ps 130:5, ESV) and I wonder if sometimes we get impatient and disappointed, even irritated and perhaps angry, because it feels like the promises of God for our lives are taking so long to be fulfilled. Do we become 'paralysed' in the waiting? Fixing our eyes on that bucket that needs to fill with water; on the time it takes to fill; in such a way that we miss the opportunity to do what our hands find to do, for His glory.

In 1 Samuel 10, Samuel anoints Saul as leader over God's inheritance and gives him several instructions, including that in verse 7: "Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hands find to, for God is with you. (NIV)" He also tells him that it will be seven days before he will see him again to receive further instructions on what to do. So, is Saul instructed to just wait? No, he says "do whatever your hands find to".

I realised that I can make a cup of coffee while I wait for the water bucket to fill up and would you believe it? In what felt like no time at all, the bucket was brimming and the washing machine was well on its way to starting the first cycle of washing. I know it's not a super spiritual thing to do, but it does prove the point and I have no doubt that you've had similar experiences before.

And in the end, if you "work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters," (Col 3:23, NIV) I believe there are so many blessings in the journey, that you would've otherwise missed out on, if you had just been waiting for that 'bucket to fill up'.

It reminds me of a couple of weeks ago when the Johan, Dawid, Davey and Colin came back from checking on progress with the boreholes across the river and unloaded a bunch of pineapples from the vehicle. "Where did you find these?" I could hardly believe my eyes upon seeing the treasure of pineapples, as I have certainly not seen any being sold in the local market over the last two months that we had been in Chavuma. "We met this guy with a truck full of pineapples as we waited to cross the river with the pontoon and bought some from him."

There is blessing in doing what your hands find to do for His glory, while you wait.

#waiting #working #blessing #water #boreholes #pineapple #dowhatyourhandsfindtodo

Photo credit:

Pineapples - https://www.naturalfoodseries.com/10-benefits-pineapples/

Water bucket - A de Greeff