A Conversation about Hope Deferred

I forwarded a great article on hope deferred to a friend of mine (who is currently single). Her response was good:

you know this was a great article about hope deferred. I really want to persevere during this time in my life and not let the desire for a husband consume me, especially when there is guy on the horizon or when friends start dating or get engaged. I know I have compared my life to others and thought, well how come they get that blessing and I don't? What did you think of it?

Here's my response back to her... pretty much says all I had to say:

To say I haven't done that would be a lie. Yet to say I have done that a million times would be an understatement. :-) But I trust in God's grace and mercy. The important point is to recognize the lie and to agree with God's truth.

A few points I really liked in this article:

• You have asked of God, and now you must trust Him and entrust your desires to Him. Now you must let go of them. Surrender them to God, your Father
• What we find here in Romans is that years of waiting on God should produce more hope, not less.
• One thing I’ve learned to do is praise God in the middle of my dashed hopes.
• "chain of hope” in Romans 5:3-6

In Sunday school, my teacher said, "our roots grow deep in adversity". Call waiting on a husband "adversity" - or whatever you like. But I agree. It is not until you are tested that you can truly see your character. When I was in Gethsemane, there was an ancient oil press there... to press the olives. The guide said something very insightful, "the quality of the oil cannot be known until the olive has been pressed." I think we are a lot the same.

One of the biggest questions you have to ask yourself is does waiting produce more hope or less?

Of course, this all goes back to another question... what do you really think about
God? What is His character? If you have questions about that, then the rest crumbles.

And then the next question... what is He about? Our comfort or His glory? ouch.

So, then, I rest in the fact that He is always at work, always good, always for my best, and apparently me being single right now affords Him the most glory.

And that's where I rest. In trust. And waiting.

All for now,
Lisa