Be Prepared and Be Patient
Prepared and patient. I don’t often think of those two things in conjunction, but having just had a real life example of them, it is such a wonderful reminder!
Yesterday afternoon I sat at my desk ready to write a post for this blog. I didn’t have a specific subject in mind, but lately I’ve just made the effort to sit down, with an idea or no idea, and create a post. Some posts are subjects I’ve considered through the week and prepared for in my mind while others are inspired as I sit. I do like a schedule, as I’ve mentioned before, so I am doing my best to write a post every week on Wednesday. This has been an irregular week, so I pushed the blog to Thursday afternoon when I’d be home and able to think about it carefully.
Thursday afternoon I thought and prayed. Pondered and considered. What to share? I wrote several subjects that I thought would be helpful and encouraging, and added a bit of content, but still nothing seemed to click. I was as prepared as I could get, but with nothing to offer, I had to practice patience.
Fast forward to this morning doing devotions. The devotional asked what my thoughts were about the phrase “While you’re praying about it, DO something about it.” That phrase really made me think, and it gave me something to share with you! I was so grateful that God had helped me patiently wait for something to share!
Be Prepared and Be Patient
“While you’re praying about it, DO something about it” – how does that advice sound to you? Does it seem appropriate? I pondered things that I was currently praying about – big things. This seems to suit big things – things that you really need God’s help and confirmation. One would hardly apply it to something such as dishes or laundry. While you are praying about them, you should certainly just DO them – I haven’t known wishes to wash dishes yet!
So let’s apply it to something bigger – perhaps buying a car or a house. You should certainly pray about it and seek God’s will regarding which car or house. Now that you have prayed about it, next on the list of advice is to “do” something about it. What are you going to do? Rush out and get a loan so that you can get that car? While a loan may be a necessary step, it really shouldn’t be your first course of action.
First things first – prepare. Prepare yourself for the reality of owning your own car or home. Research insurance, required paperwork, cost, key things to look for, important things to avoid. Alexander Graham Bell said that “Preparation is the Key to Success.” How true! But do keep in mind that in the end, true success might not be the vision that you first imagined. It might be that the home that you have dreamed of buying has structural problems. If you had not prepared and done your research, you never would’ve known of important things to look for and avoid.
Be patient in prayer and be patient in preparation. Keep reminding yourself that “All Good Things Take Time.” It’s so important to remember!
“This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed. “
Habakkuk 2:3
This is one of my favorite Bibles verses! The vision is like the dream, the thing that you are praying about. The end that it describes is the conclusion to the goal or dream. Some things seems so slow in coming, but this verse encourages us to wait patiently because it will take place – and not a moment too late!
So, while you’re praying about it, what are some things that you can do about it, you might wonder? Here are some ideas that will hopefully jump start you! Are you praying about a larger home? Determine to keep your current home clean and brainstorm ways to run it more efficiently! Are you praying about your future husband? Seek to improve your current relationships and learn how to run a home. Are you praying about growing your business? Learn about your target audience and brainstorm what gives your business an edge.
There is always something that you can do to get closer to the end result. And the beauty of it is that as you get closer and develop patience, the things you originally prayed about either work out, or something even better does!
How can you apply this to your life? What does it inspire you to pursue? I’d love it if you’d share!
Until Next Time,
Hope.