We were looking for an artsy part of town. The trouble was, we didn’t know the exact location. This area was apparently four blocks long. The name we were given was not the name the locals called it. We would walk one way, ask direction, then walk another way. We had a map, but no address to even find where this artsy place began or ended.
We were getting tired and we exhausted most of our ideas. The tension in the group began to rise. We were all growing a little impatient with each other and in finding our destination. After an hour or so of searching, we seemed to have “bumped” into it. We were all relieved, and we all said our apologies for the unnecessary trouble we may have caused each other in searching for the Latin Quarters in Paris.
James 1:4 NKJV says, “But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing”
Often times in life, we have seasons of “wandering”. We have the Bible as our map, but the world does not know what we may be looking for. Frederick Buechner said it best in Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC:
“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
We are on a journey to find where God wants us to use our gifts, talents, and breath to not just serve Him but to remain in fellowship with Him. Finding out our gifts and talents sometimes take time. They take training. There was a season in my life that felt almost like boot camp. I was learning so many new skills and being refined in the process. Until we reach our final destination, we will always be more refining.
Our season of wandering builds our patience. We need patience to become mature. Sometimes God hasn’t allowed us to find the next thing because we need to build more character. If our character is lacking, we may not be able to handle the blessing God wants to give us. Patience is an important character to have not only when you’re waiting on flights, looking for a place to eat, waiting for transportation, but also when you’re walking through seasons of unanswered questions. When you feel like you’re hitting a wall, and nothing is opening up for you. God loves you enough to push you past your limits in order to rely on His strength and His ability to lead you where He wants you.
Challenge: Ask God to help you to be patient as you’re searching for the next thing. Thank Him for loving you where you are at, but pushing you to not stay the same. Write Habakkuk 2:3 on a 3×5 card.
The Fearless Sojourner 