The Waiting is the Hardest Part

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers sang a song called "The Waiting" in which the title of this blog is a line in the song.

The Chorus of the song:

The waiting is the hardest part

Everyday you see one more card

You take it on faith
You take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part.
(words by Tom Petty)

This speaks to me in so many ways. Right now I feel like God is having me wait until all the pieces of the puzzle are ready to be assembled. At times it is frustrating for me. I have such a desire to reach out now to people all over, yet here I sit writing blogs several times a week.

Then today happens. Right before Easter, a lady Jehovah's Witness came up to me and when she introduced herself, I introduced me. She seemed taken back only for a minute at the announcement of Reverend, but she composed herself and we briefly talked, with me telling her about Upside Down Christianity. She gave me her "Watchtower" magazine, I gave her my business card with my blog URL and she left. File 13 on the mag and I didn't think anymore of it. (i was going out of town that day for the weekend and had too many other things on my mind. I especially didn't have a lot of time to talk.)

Fast forward to today.

She came back today with another man. Bibles in hand, they are ready for battle. She said she had thought of me often and wanted to come back and talk to me. (God is giving me one more chance to witness to her? Maybe? Since I was too busy last time? Sorry God, I won't do that again!)

So they are quoting scriptures, and I'm answering them right back from memory, even backing up my own beliefs with my own scriptures from Micah, Revelation, Joshua (not everyday scriptures that you carry around in your head.)

Years ago i would have had to shut the door on them to get some peace. (one time I scared a bunch of them to death (unintentionally), another story, another time, although I am almost dying to tell it right now.) This time after about 30 minutes, they said they had to go, and said goodbye and left. But for 30 minutes I got to witness to her.

So I got to thinking. If I was at another town, in another church, I would have missed today's opportunity. What she does with the info that I gave her I am not sure. Will she remember it? Will she shrug it off? I pray not. But it lightened my load a bit to know that while I wait on where God will send me next, He is still able to use me here where I am.

So Tom, here is my breakdown of your song:

The waiting is the hardest part

Yep, it's a booger when you have to learn patience while God prepares you and others for where you're going next.

Everyday you see one more card

They say you live with what cards you're dealt in life. Frankly, each hand keeps getting better and better.

You take it on faith

Twofold: My faith is what drives me to do the ministry, and my faith in God will supply all I need to have the ministry that He has planned for me

You take it to the heart

I have treasured your promise in my heart so that I may not sin against you. Psalm 119:11 NASB

The waiting is the hardest part.

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. Psalm 27:14 KJV

May God bless you in your waiting.