A book that seemed to jump off the shelf at me...

JUST ENOUGH LIGHT for the STEP I'M ON: Trusting God in the tough times by Stormie Omartian.

Several times since my post WAIT, I've questioned whether or not I was going about this "waiting" thing the right way, mainly because it still seems a little foreign to me. I would much rather be doing something! This time is different though. It's not a waiting where I do nothing. It's probably more like listening. Listening with the intent of hearing! Or waiting with my ears open and my heart willing to do whatever it is the Lord asks of me. Waiting with my eyes open, seeking ways to serve the Lord through lending a hand, praying for someone or encouraging people through words or actions.

Today, as I was reading chapter 12, Waiting in the Wings, these words spoke directly to my heart:

Going through a waiting period doesn't mean there is nothing happening, because when you are waiting on the Lord, He is always moving in your life. Even though it may not seem like it, as long as you are walking with the Lord you are going from "glory to glory" and "strength to strength." You are always going somewhere in God's plan. And His purpose for you is always being realized. But you have to be patient and wait for Him to accomplish it His way and in His time. (And then later in the chapter)...Patience is not resignation. It's joyful anticipation of the glory that is before you.

I've definitely been encouraged by reading this book and would highly recommend it. I often think, "This IS just enough light for the step I'm on!" and thank the Lord for showing me that I can trust Him every step of the way. In this waiting period, I've discovered more about listening in the last few weeks than probably any other time in my life, and patience has become a friend. It has brought joy and peace to my life and, somewhere along the way, I quit worrying about what I was supposed to be doing.

I am RESTING more. Not sitting on my couch doing nothing...not that kind of resting. The kind of resting that says, "Lord, You show me what YOU want me to be about. YOU show me how to minister to those around me. YOU show me when and where YOU want me to go. These are YOUR hands and YOUR feet." It feels good to wait on the Lord, and doing so has renewed my spirit. This scripture resonates with me now more than ever before:

...Those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31