Wait Patiently

I sat down last Tuesday to reflect on the year gone by, and pray about 2013.

This time of reflection has been a habit of mine for several years, and I really love doing it. Rather than a time to consider making "new year's resolutions," I like to think about the ways God has been active in my year - what He's been teaching me, how He's grown me, and the like.
Those of you who've been with me for a while may recall that God has taken me through a series of themes over the past four years. (Of course, I didn't catch onto it until the first year had nearly ended. Yeah. I'm slow. *wink*)
In 2009, the theme was TRUST.
In 2010, God's word for me was OBEY.
In 2011, He taught me about SURRENDER.
And I was convinced last year was going to be all about PEACE. Seemed like the logical conclusion to TRUST, OBEY and SURRENDER.

After reflecting on 2012, I still believe PEACE was the theme. It occurred to me, however, that most of the time PEACE was a conscious choice I made - rather than a feeling I experienced.
That is, most of the time I had to choose to be peaceful in the midst of circumstances which were anything but.
God continued to show me PEACE is the logical conclusion to TRUST, OBEY, SURRENDER. Even when I am not feeling it, I can choose PEACE because of what I know to be true about God.

And that is a very good thing!

As I sat in my bedroom with my journal and my thoughts, I began to ask the question, What next? And the phrase I'd been contemplating from verse 1 of Psalm 40 begged for my attention.

WAIT PATIENTLY.

It seemed like another logical conclusion:
*I TRUST God completely.
*I will OBEY what He tells me.
*I SURRENDER everything to Him.
*I will be at PEACE with His actions in my life.
*Because of these four postures, I am going to WAIT PATIENTLY for God to move.

Friends, I believe 2013 is going to be a wonderful year! Will you WAIT PATIENTLY with me?