I’m feeling fried and frazzled in a scorching August heatwave. As I’m waiting to cool down, I’m reminded that the earth itself is incrementally heating up. We sense the stirrings of earth’s birth pangs, the longing it has for deliverance, and considered attention from its custodians.
Our own hearts (never mind our bothered bodies) can feel unsettled by a yearning for change. Because waiting is hard, isn’t it? Our society and world at large are like life on speed, with a drivenness that doesn’t sit easily with being rested, calm and at peace.
We all sit with unfulfilled desires. One of mine is to write more books before I get too ill, too old or lose my poetic touch. I long to unleash all the creativity that lies within me, rather than sitting on dusty files which remind me that those books are not going to write themselves… get a move on, girl! Only impatience isn’t conducive to getting a good result. 😉
“In the drivenness of our society, it’s hard to make time to relax our efforts and find transforming energy. That’s why we need this particular posture of waiting so much. When we sit in this way we’re relaxing the bow; we’re coming to rest in a very deep way in God, allowing ourselves to be cradled in the sighing mystery of Christ’s prayer.”— When the Heart Waits: Spiritual Direction for Life’s Sacred Questions by Sue Monk Kidd
Desire
desire at rest
cultivated by God’s grace
in the waiting room
where we learn to still our hearts
quiet the rush, quell our thoughts
the divine promise
gets birthed and earthed in us
in God’s timing
we will finally receive
an abundance of good things
in this posture
where submissiveness counts
where trust is formed
here we mature, learn and grow
develop patience in our souls
soul detachment
enables us to let go
of our wanting
and expectancy follows
when we embrace faith and hope
freedom of desire
might feel alien to us
it’s a holy thing
where our desires and will line up
with what the Father wants for us
© joylenton
“That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy” — Romans 8:24–25 The Message
May I pray for you, my friend?
Dear Father God,
Thank you for your loving and protective care of us. Our days are an open book to you because you hold past, present and future in your hands. Help us to wait with patient expectation and confident trust when we desire to forge ahead with this project or that. If we’re in a season of being slowed, grant us the ability to stay encouraged and calm, and believe for better days to come. May we learn to go with the natural rhythm and flow of our days and remain sensitive to Holy Spirit’s gentle leading and guiding.
Amen
May we remember that however far we might stray, get impatient or fail to sense His presence, God is always eagerly waiting for us to turn to Him. 😊❤️
Poetry Joy 
Beautiful and encouraging reflections here, Joy. Cultivated by God’s grace in the waiting room as He works in us to more deeply surrender. I love how The Message says “We are enlarged in the waiting.” And the end of your prayer especially speaks of the longing of my heart – “May we learn to go with the natural rhythm and flow of our days and remain sensitive to Holy Spirit’s gentle leading and guiding.” Thank you for all this encouragement, dear friend. Love and blessings to you!
Trudy, I love that thought from The Message translation too, because we’re more inclined to feel diminished by the waiting process we have to endure, rather than enlarged by it. Perhaps our longing for balance and equilibrium has been enhanced by how unsettling the last few months have been for us all. These trying times we’re all going through are made more bearable by taking moments of stillness and rest where we seek God’s counsel and help. May you hear beautiful soul encouragement from Holy Spirit to give you renewed hope and reassurance which you can share with others. You have such a gift of compassionately offering hope as you share your life and heart. Love and blessings to you too, dear friend! xo ❤️
Dear Joy,
OH, this phrase stopped me, and went straight to my heart,
“the divine promise
gets birthed and earthed in us”
He does birth that promise, but we aren’t always ready for the “earthing” part. You have once again brought tears to my eyes, through your words here. Being grounded, and suffering through the death and life experience brings us that growth that is so necessary. Thank you for the encouragement that your words bring. And then your prayer and the song touched me so much as I am praying for a dear loved one tonight. Praying for cooler days ahead for you soon! Love and hugs for you dear friend! xoxo
Dear Bettie, oh I agree, the “earthing” part appears to take all our time on earth because of the vastness of God’s promises and our inability to be ready to fully receive them. Although we might resist the process, it’s true that we grow most from being “grounded” and “suffering through the death and life experience.” Thank you for adding your own precious insights here and enlarging beautifully on the message I have shared. It warms my heart to have brought some encouragement to yours, dear friend. As for the weather, it has been taxing and very tiring, but we seem to be at the tail end of the heatwave now, with storms forecast most days and temperature lessening a little. I’m really looking forward to the “cooler days ahead” you have prayerfully envisaged! Love and hugs to you, too, sweet friend! xoxo 💜