Day 7: A God Who is present in ALL of life

I'm pretty sure that for every cough, cough, cough...hack, hack, hack...sniffle, sniffle, sniffle...I've heard over the past few days my heart has done an equal amount of grumble, grumble, grumble. The truth? I can't stand that about myself. The seeming power the common cold has to unnerve, frustrate and irritate me is pretty unbelievable because all the common cold requires of me is to wait it out. When my kids get sick I am able to do very little to make a difference. I can snuggle, trying to soothe with my arms and heart what no medicine can ever do. I can practically comfort with extra fluids, rest and medicine, but even with these interventions, it's a waiting game.

Thing is, there are some really big issues in my life right now in which I believe I am waiting well. Waiting as ultimate healing for dis-ease comes for someone I love very deeply. Waiting for a loved one to come back to God. Waiting for tension and friction to give way to resolution and restoration. See, all these issue are big, overwhelming and completely out of my control thus my only option is to wait. God is teaching me to use this time of waiting in these areas of my life as a worship offering to Him. Worship through the waiting is incredibly painful and difficult but the only other option would be to deny that God is good and has any plan or purpose for the trials I am facing. I am choosing not to go there for I KNOW my God is good and that He has a plan and purpose for everything He allows in my life.

So why is it that this little thing called a cold has my heart and mind in a frenzy? Because it is inconvenient and I can't do anything to change it.  It shows just how much I crave the ability to control what happens to me and those I love.  It faces me with the truth that I need to accept with joy whatever lies before me.  So today, I am thankful for a God who is present in ALL of life. I feel His presence as I wait in the big things in my life. May He also quicken my heart to be sensitive to His presence in the mundane task of waiting out a childhood cold. A line in Matt Redman's newest worship album says this, "Everyone praises the thing they love... I'll be praising You my Lord."  That is my chief goal and ultimate desire in all the waiting situations in my life, that I use my attitude to praise my Lord and Savior.