If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.
- Habakkuk 2:3b
After a long winter, I am so grateful for spring and the beautiful weather we’re having. Flowers are blooming, filling the air with beautiful scents. A month ago, when the weather was acting all bipolar, someone posted a photo on the social medias that she was super excited to see dandelions. I remember when I was a kid, I would bring my mom bouquets of dandelions. Of course she accepted the gift with great joy. When I got older, I realized I gave her bouquets of weeds.
In life, I think we can settle for the dandelions in our lives because they’re the first to pop up. After a long stretch of waiting for something to come along, we get tired of waiting so we’ll take the first thing that comes across our path. If we’re single, we’ll take the first “decent” guy or gal that comes along instead of waiting for the real beauty that is coming. We’ll take the first contract that is offered or agent that talks to us instead of making sure both will be beneficial and line up with our values.
It’s hard to wait, especially when we don’t know the arrival of the thing we’re waiting for. It can be really frustrating knowing our timeline and God’s timeline are not the same (Psalm 90:4), but we trust God and His timing. Dandelions pale in comparison to the tulips and daffodils I’ve seen driving around and the lilacs I remember smelling in my backyard as a kid. Let’s wait for the beauty God has planned for us and not settle for the dandelions that spring up around us.
Prayer:
Lord, I know I have settled for many different things in my past. I wasn’t patient to wait and see what You had planned for me. But not now. Lord, I trust You and Your timing. I trust You for the things I am waiting for and until they come along, I will press into You and find my satisfaction in You and You alone. In You, I lack nothing.
Question:
What are the dandelions you’ve settled for in the past?
Challenge:
Think through the things you’re waiting for now. Write them out. Pray over those and trust that God will provide that or something better in His time.
Outreach Challenge:
Think of someone you know who may need some encouragement. Write an encouraging, anonymous note and stick it on the windshield of his/her car. If they don’t have a car, think of a sneaky way to get the note to them.
