Or immediately.  Or in a hurry.

There are various bible verses that mention God works suddenly.  It may not seem like it, right?  The process to get the desire of your heart may be long and tiresome, but when it arrives it can arrive suddenly.

He is a faithful God.  He created the world and YEARS later fulfilled the Messiah’s coming to redeem mankind of their sin.  He is the creator of time.  He is not worried about my timeline.

“HOPE DEFERRED MAKETH THE HEART SICK: BUT WHEN THE DESIRE COMETH, IT IS A TREE OF LIFE.” -PROVERBS 13:12

This current post is an extension of yesterday’s He will make rivers in the desert… where I wrote of how God is using plants to teach me all kinds of lessons in love and patience.  You cannot force something to grow, but must be patient and continue tending to it even when you do not see the fruit of your labor.  You can’t ignore it or else it will wither and die.  There would be no hope at all.

Love does amazing things.

I always killed plants, but it’s because I didn’t care about them.  Now, I love spending time at home.  God is using this to teach my heart to stay.  When things get hard why would you run away?  All I need is a porch swing, some plants, and my bible and it’s a good time. 😀

There are a few things I thought of today..and maybe God revealed it to my heart.

I am a very impatient person (that’s not what he revealed…that’s no surprise 😛 ).

He uses the littles things to build our faith and to let us know He’s right there…in the tiniest details.  Then, he uses those tiny details to remind us that He is in the littlest things.  And if he cares about the tiny details then He is in the giant things, too.

One day last week I was frustrated over a “big thing”.  I got home from work and was swinging on the porch ‘when suddenly’ my Bobby pin fell out of my hair.

Since they go to the land of the unknown and I was already aggravated I said “not today…”

So, I, like a nut was on my hands and knees digging through the grass for a Bobby pin.

I couldn’t find it and finally said, “God, please let me find this stupid Bobbie pin.”

…And I looked to my left and there it stood.

 

I laughed out loud!  He knows the number of hairs on our head…

“And she kept these things in her heart…”

The next day at work when I went on break I couldn’t find my debit card.  I flipped my bag upside down and emptied its contents.  I went through my wallet 1,000 times.  I had no idea where it could have been.  AND THEN SUDDENLY I didn’t remember putting it in my wallet meaning the day before it must have fallen out of my pocket.

I STARTED SWEATING.

“But, the bobby pin!  God knows where my debit card it.  It’s going to be ok!”

I ran to the cafeteria and asked.
Nope.

I ran to the security office.
Nope.

Maybe it fell out of my pocket in the car… the car that was in the shop that day (naturally).  I called the shop again and again and again…thankfully they were busy.

Still sweating I called the bank to check my transactions.  (I could hear the poor girl’s eye rolls through the phone…)

“Bank account number?”
“I don’t have that, but I can give you my social and everything else” BECAUSE I’M ME!

No weird charges.

As soon as we hang up my dad called and described my card… it was in my purse at home on the table.

I have no idea how it got there, but God knew it was there all along.

All of that brings us to this final point: my plants.

What?

Don’t you see?  Look at all of the little things God had done for me in just one week!  To me it was incredible because I knew Who provided.  I trusted that He would.  Ask and it shall be given unto you.  Little miracles one after the other that shouted “I have not forsaken you.  Trust me.”

It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the prayers in your life that have not yet been answered when God answers us all the time.  He is in the little things.  He is in the waiting seasons.  He is there and He is faithful.

“MY BRETHREN, COUNT IT ALL JOY WHEN YE FALL INTO DIVERS TEMPTATIONS; KNOWING THIS, THAT THE TRYING OF YOUR FAITH WORKETH PATIENCE.  BUT LET PATIENCE HAVE HER PERFECT WORK, THAT YE MAY BE PERFECT AND ENTIRE, WANTING NOTHING.

IF ANY OF YOU LACK WISDOM, LET HIM ASK OF GOD, THAT GIVETH TO ALL MEN LIBERALLY, AND UPBRAIDETH NOT; AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN HIM.

BUT LET HIM ASK IN FAITH, NOTHING WAVERING. FOR HE THAT WAVERETH IS LIKE A WAVE OF THE SEA DRIVEN WITH THE WIND AND TOSSED.

FOR LET NOT THAT MAN THINK THAT HE SHALL RECEIVE ANY THING OF THE LORD.

A DOUBLE MINDED MAN IS UNSTABLE IN ALL HIS WAYS.” – JAMES 1:2-8

Why did he answer my bobby pin request and not a prayer I have been praying for what seems 1,000 years?

Well, I don’t know the answer to that, but God does.  He has a time and purpose for everything.  I know for one thing I’m not the same person I was 4 years ago.  I’m not the same person from one year ago.  God is refining me.  I was not ready then for what I wanted even though I wanted it just as bad that day.

“THEREFORE BEING JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST:  BY WHOM ALSO WE HAVE ACCESS BY FAITH INTO THIS GRACE WHEREIN WE STAND, AND REJOICE IN HOPE OF THE GLORY OF GOD.

AND NOT ONLY SO, BUT WE GLORY IN TRIBULATIONS ALSO: KNOWING THAT TRIBULATION WORKETH PATIENCE;  AND PATIENCE, EXPERIENCE; AND EXPERIENCE, HOPE:  AND HOPE MAKETH NOT ASHAMED; BECAUSE THE LOVE OF GOD IS SHED ABROAD IN OUR HEARTS BY THE HOLY GHOST WHICH IS GIVEN UNTO US.”
– ROMANS 5:1-5

I know He didn’t forget me.  He said, “Hey!  I’m here!  I love you!”

So, to bring my last post full circle to this one on the way home I was talking about the waiting.  SO MUCH WAITING.

But, that’s when God reminded me of this cucumber…

I sit outside every day.  I water my plants every day.  I inspect my plants every day.  I see all of the flowers every day.

But, somehow I missed an actual cucumber growing from it.

Yesterday, I was sitting in the chair and noticed a darker shade of green… “What the heck?”

Y’all.  I was so excited I realized it is a foreshadowing to my future self passing out if and when I have a baby one day.

All the waiting and all the wondering why nothing is growing…. But, it was.  It was there. I just didn’t see it.  AND THEN SUDDENLY God showed it to me.

AND THEN SUDDENLY.

The process was still there.  The growing and the spinning and the cucumber-ing (?) 🙂 happened even if I didn’t see it.  It was happening in the background AND THEN SUDDENLY…

If I had seen the actual process if the tiny cucumber I would’ve been excited, but would have been impatient for it to actually grow full size.

For whatever reason God didn’t let me see it.  I mean, how do you miss a vegetable growing???  It was on the inside of the pot, too.  Did all my worrying and wondering help me see it sooner?  No.  It was hidden beneath all the leaves.

It was hidden.  Like me.

Everything comes to light in its right time.

Maybe it was just for the sole purpose to remind me that He knows my heart’s desires.  He knows the process and road I need to be on.  Just trust and enjoy the journey.

He knows “AND THEN SUDDENLY” they will appear.

Let not your heart be troubled. ❤

Enjoying the ride…

Waiting on God

God is in the waiting

“I wanna take Your word and shine it all around,
But first help me just to live it Lord.
And if I’m doing good help me to never seek a crown
Except to give all the glory to You.

Oh Lord, You’re beautiful.
Your face is all I seek.
For when your eyes are on this child
Your faith abounds to me”
Youtube: Keith Green – Lord, You’re Beautiful