Wait.

What does it mean to truly wait on the LORD?

I've been hearing this phrase ever since I can remember. At first, I thought it was a prompt of service. You know, like I was a waitress and God was at a table, asking me to do things for Him. In my mind, I was very literally "waiting" on the LORD. But there is a far holier purpose than what my young mind once believed.

God sees us, inside and out. "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account" (Hebrews 4:13). He knows our innermost thoughts, the most secret cries of our hearts, and yet He still desires to be near us. In the midst of our imperfections, He longs to provide help, and yet we turn away. Why in the world would the children of God do such a foolish thing?

Impatience. Impatience, among other things, sums up a great deal of our resistance toward God. Since our human minds cannot comprehend His holy timing, we make the mistake of thinking that He just isn't speaking, isn't moving, doesn't care -- that He is silent. But if we were to just wait...

Let's think about that for a second. What is waiting on us if we wait on Him? One popular subject in the Bible is this "ask, seek, knock" idea. And why wouldn't it be popular? Of course we all long for answers, and this verse promises them. But I believe the ideas behind this verse have become a little more than slightly misconstrued.

As a result of our culture, we live for the immediate. When I ask, I want answers. I don't have time to truly search; I need what I'm looking for now. When I knock, I expect someone to answer within a certain time frame or I leave. But here's how the verse reads in the New Living Translation:

"Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7).

The idea of continuation. Patience. Waiting.

God doesn't always use the immediate. He doesn't need it. How could He be confined by time? He created it. As Donald Miller explains, "This isn't a fast-food restaurant; it's the kingdom of God, and quality disciples take a lot of time. Jesus is patient to the end."

Sometimes, we must grow in order to truly understand what we ask from God, or to possess just a portion of the responsibility necessary to handle it. There are times -- maybe in the future, maybe even now -- that this will be frustrating, because patience is a challenge to us all. But if all else fails, envelope this as your hope: "so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him" (Hebrews 9:28).

It takes a lot of discipline to be a disciple. So right now, find a place to meet with God. Allow your heart to settle. Just sit for a while, listening to Him. Don't be afraid if you don't hear anything. Simply rest in His presence. Let this be your friendly reminder that in the end, all that frustration, all the tearful hoping, all of the time you spent waiting on the LORD was well worth it. Seriously, you're impressed by what God's doing now? Well... just you wait.

May your day bring inexplicable joy. May you bask in the glory of the one true Father and truly understand the idea of surrender. Relish in the truth that you are deeply loved. And go out and do something because of it.

Potential.

Today, after clumsily spilling a full cup of water all over our rug in the sunroom, I rushed to get a towel. As I transferred the water from one soaking object to another, I wondered, "Why didn't I just fill the glass up partially to begin with? I knew I wouldn't drink it all before I went to sleep." As I pondered this, I noticed something -- I've never filled a glass up only part of the way in my life. And after realizing that, I think we may have just as much to learn from the way we fill up water glasses as we do from our determination of whether it's half empty or half full.

I wondered why I do this. Habit? Possibly. I have done it for as long as I can remember. Am I lazy? Maybe. I guess it could potentially save me a trip in the long run. Am I wasteful? That's probably way more true than I would care to admit. But I don't think that's why. I think it's because when you see the true potential of something, you can't help but want to see it reached.

I know what you're thinking. Come on, Anna. It's a glass of water. But something about this really speaks to me. This same idea has proven to be true in real life circumstances. Who do people most want to be associated with? Successful people. What determines their success? The level of human potential that they have reached. People decide whether to hop on board or run for the hills depending on where they see things are going.

So how do we reach this point in our lives? Do we keep trying things until we find our perfect fit? Do we just pray and hope everything works out right? Well, I don't have the answer to that. All I know is that you have potential -- more potential than what you can see right now. A part of your journey is finding it; a part of my journey is offering encouragement and any help you may need along the way.

Go out today and inspire someone.

When the search finds you.

Today, I sat down to lunch with my friend Molly. As we discussed our newest summer endeavors, she began talking with me about the desk she's refinishing. She told me about every detail of everything she was going through in order to make the desk presentable -- how her right arm hurt from all of the effort she was putting into sanding, the tedious work of sanding the corners. Then, she mentioned something that caught the interest of us both.

As she talked about sanding the top of the desk, sawdust covering everything in her garage thanks to the Oklahoma draft, she laughingly said that there came a time where she scraped away the shavings and said, "Whoa, there's a whole different desk under here!"

We began talking about how the Christian walk looks very similar. We work and we work, we get frustrated, our body aches, and we feel like we'll never be finished. But as soon as we scrape away all of the junk that hinders us from seeing what's underneath, we are finally introduced to the end result.

This can be frustrating. At first, you're inspired. I mean seriously, look at all the work you just accomplished! But there's an entire table still waiting to receive the same attention. And at times, you may become disheartened by how much you have left to do, but I beg you to realize that it is a process. And you must recognize that the desk does not sand itself; don't be afraid to ask for help from those you trust around you, and continually pray for your heart to be made new and for energy to be added to your life to keep you moving.

Next time you're in a drought, try to find the time to pick up a project. Let it move you. Go into it knowing that, as with anything you devote your time and effort to, it will both uplift and frustrate you. Recognize that God made everything and so, through everything, we can see glimpses of Him. Exactly every movement you make is the result of His divine plan, and so be open to letting yourself go. Pour your heart into everything you do, and learn.

May the whisper of the Holy Spirit touch your heart today. May the grace and mercy of God quench your thirst as you run your race. Fear nothing, especially not love. And for goodness' sake, live your life.

The importance of questioning.

We are all programmed to question. As soon as we fully comprehend the ability to deny, screeching out a "NO!" in response to almost anything someone says, we begin asking "why?". I don't think we grow out of this; instead, I think it's simply repressed. So why do we pretend like it's not important?

I often find myself easily persuaded by the people around me. I know that this has psychological understatements -- the power of suggestion and all of those marketing techniques definitely help prove this -- but still, sometimes it catches me off-guard. I feel like I'm pretty strongly grounded in the way that I feel. I try to approach everything with an open heart and an open mind, but after you've tossed ideas around about the same things for a period of time, you have a pretty set opinion of them. But the things that I have not yet thought of are what scare me most.

Our opinions should not be guided in a "first come, first serve" mentality. By that, I mean that just because someone is the first to speak to you about certain information does not mean that you should automatically accept it as your own. Even if you attend church and hear the words come out of your pastor's mouth, that does not make them your words. I love and respect my pastor and know that he is a wonderful God-fearing man, but I follow Jesus, not him.

Many Biblical metaphors of Christianity are based on our child-like tendencies. And if you know any children, you know that curiosity is a large part of their lives. So don't be afraid to question. I mean, try not to start a fight over it, but asking someone a simple "why?" can open up so many doors -- into their heart, into their mind, or just a simple background story -- that you could have missed out on otherwise. We should live child-like lives, being innocent, pure, loving, accepting, and free. However, I urge you to recognize that there is a difference between being child-like and being childish.

Go out and be spontaneous today. Do something you haven't done since you were a little kid. Make up a story, play catch just because, color outside the lines, play hide and seek in a department store, fly a kite, spin in circles until you fall down. And when life's little stresses sneak into your life, look up at the sky and smile, because God has much bigger blessings in store. Allow yourself to simply be, and remember what it's like to live freely.