I recently read a book that I think you would really enjoy. It's called, "You're Late Again, Lord: The Impatient Woman's Guide to God's Timing" by Karon Goodman. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who's ever had to wait for something they wanted (that's all of us right?). The book is about why we have to wait -- why God puts us in a "waiting room." Waiting rooms can be waiting to get married, waiting to be healed, waiting for a job, waiting for deliverance from financial bondage, waiting for a house to sell, waiting for a child to come around, waiting for a spouse to see the light, etc. When God puts us in a "waiting room," we have to stay there until we learn what it is that He wants us to learn. Normally when we have to wait we get frustrated and impatient and we beg, plead and bargain with the Lord trying to get Him to let us move on and make things work the way we think they ought to. It's a control issue. We want to control our situation. We have to learn to give Him the control. God puts us in a "waiting room" because He wants us to stop looking outward and start looking inward and developing a relationship with Him so we can learn what He wants us to learn.

Karon Goodman talks about the fact that we don't really need to be "patient," we need to have "purpose." There's a purpose for our waiting and we need to ask God to help us discover what that purpose is. Waiting isn't idle time, it's a time to work purposefully. She uses the verse in Isaiah, 'But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings as eagles, They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31) She says we should not be idle and wearing ourselves out griping about having to wait while we're waiting. Rather waiting is a blessing... it's time God is giving us to renew our strength, grow closer to Him and a time to run and walk... not sit and twiddle our thumbs and get frustrated.

Here's a sample excerpt::

"The past will prepare you for the future if you will listen to those lessons. One of the reasons we spend so much time stalled and waiting is that we failed to learn what God tried to teach us in the last similar circumstance. So He sits us in the waiting room again and again until we finally get it. The signs are there, but we refuse to read.

"If you continue to find yourself frustrated in a certain type of relationship or job or other situation, perhaps it's because it's not *who you are*, who God means for you to be. You continue to put yourself in the wrong places and then refuse to see the unwelcome results as a call for change. Then you wait through the pain and loss and confusion while God is waiting for you to find a purpose for it all. Your frustration mounts, and you can't overcome it because you won't stop long enough to pay attention to and trust what God is trying to tell you, even though He lets you ask all the questions you want and will never lie to you."

"Test everything. Hold on to the good." 1 Thessalonians 2:21 (NIV)

"The past isn't there just to fill up history books. It is an endless spring of self-knowledge if you will drink from it. Before you go forward, you must look back and see what worked and what didn't, what made you happy and what didn't, what brought you closer to God and what didn't. Pay attention to your history, improve your present, unlimit your future. God has the time."

"Remember that you are not in this wait alone, even though it may feel that way at times because it hurts so much. Waiting purposefully is a very solitary, unique work, but you always have your permanent partner in God. Hang on to that." (Pp 104-106)

I'd highly recommend this book. Details are at http://karongoodman.com/lateagain.html

Marnie Pehrson, a mother of 6, has been highlighting truth and talent for 15 years. Whether it's writing a novel that spotlights individuals who've made a difference in the world or helping a talented entrepreneur create a platform for his life's work, Marnie underscores truth and talent in innovative and compelling ways. She is the creator of www.IdeaMarketers.com and helps experts promote their products and services online. For more information on her various projects and books, visit http://www.pwgroup.com. Contact the author, Marnie Pehrson , at marnie@pwgroup.com
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