" Suddenly"

I remember day after day, rushing home after school in Grade 5, to see if my cat finally had her kittens. Suddenly, one day when I walked through the door my cat Suzy was waiting for me. I knew something was up because she was quite a bit skinnier then when I left for school that morning. I followed her up the stairs and there in my brother's bottom drawer, were four kittens, each one different from the other. What a day that was! 

There are many times that we find ourselves waiting and waiting then suddenly, the waiting is over. If you are anything like me, and waiting is not your strong suit, then, this frequent occurrence in life, is pretty challenging. I don't think I know many people who are good at waiting. 

In the Bible, the word"suddenly" shows up many time indicating both good and bad situations. "Suddenly" a fierce storm rose up and the disciples were terrified while Jesus was snoozing in the back of the boat. (Luke 8:24). Jesus gets up and calls to the wind to be silent. The disciples are in awe as I certainly would have been had I been in that boat. Truth be told, I would have likely woken Jesus up even sooner!

The point I simply want to make today is, there are those things in life we wait and wait for then suddenly, the wait is over. It is a new day. God does a lot in you and I while we wait. I have waited 5 painful years to see one huge answer to prayer and I am finally seeing it... suddenly there was a change and the day came. For ten years we have prayed as a church for a new place to worship and suddenly, God opened the door. 

The challenge in walking with God is believing that one day, as we walk by faith and not by sight, things will indeed change. In the meantime, we walk, we wait, we pray and we believe because "suddenly", one day, things will be different and the wait is over. 

A Parent's Sleepless Night

 I lay in my bed most of the night praying- waiting for the sound of our son coming home and stumbling once again up the stairs. What mattered was not the stumbling, it was that he was home. 

The next day, I get up heavy hearted but relieved wondering when will this nightmare be finished. I had no energy to do anything. That afternoon I was to go to an outreach into our neighbourhood where we share the love and hope that only Jesus can bring. I felt nothing. 

I phoned my husband Bill from the gym where we do our outreach in tears. I did not know how I was suppose to love all these  beautiful kids feeling like I was. Yet I knew that was what I was called to do. Bill said to me something I will never forget. " Our son is not the centre of our lives, Jesus is". Then he prayed with me. Honestly, the heaviness and despair slipped away. I felt peace fill my heart. 

Regardless of the challenges facing a family, whatever the sickness, it is very easy to make that loved one the centre. Jesus is always the centre. He is the Rock upon which we stand and gain wisdom, strength and the hope to press on. It is easy to let other things or people to take centre stage in our life, but Jesus really needs to be the centre if we are going to navigate this path we find ourselves on. 

Keep Him centre.