Timnath Serah (and what comes before)

Right now I feel like a semi-genious. You know, one of those times when you've solved a problem that really should have been beyond you, but at the same time, screwed it up so badly you're going to have to do it all over again? A few months back, my boss bought a 580 gallon water tank so when we fill and drain hot tubs to test them, we don't always have to dump the water. My job was to design and build the plumbing so that using one pump, one line, and the one tank, we could both drain and fill the hot tubs. Well, it works. Turn on the pump and I can either drain or fill a tub in about 2-3 minutes (on average 400 gallons) and change from draining to filling or vice versa with the flick of two dials. Unfortunately, I've built such an airlock into the system, that the tank has to be atleast 1/3 full in order to work properly. Grrr....

In case you were wondering.... I just Googled myself a few minutes ago. I was second from the top!

Possibilities. I approach with caution, but always with much anticipation. I find myself in a state of constant hopeful expectation that God is finally going to do the miracle and lead me to my Timnath Serah. Constant hopeful expectation.... wow, that almost sounds like faith.

Waiting. I actually preached a sermon once. Twice, in fact. (Two different sermons that is). In these sermons I talked about waiting. Spiritual waiting is different from waiting in the visible world. Spiritual waiting can't be done impatiently. To be in a state of spiritual waiting, you need to learn to be content with where you're at. In other words, trusting God that He actually does have some sort of clue as to what's going on and where He's got you, and in that trust, also being content that He's got you where He wants you and that's where you should be. In order for this to be able to happen, the right focus is necessary. The right focus is not staring over your right shoulder or anything like that. The right focus is an eternal focus, keeping in mind both who and where you are. I am a child of God on my way to eternity with Him. He's all powerful, all knowing, and loves me to bits. If I can't trust Him to take care of things, the problem is with me.

So many times I've thought, "Now I've come to the end of this blasted desert! Finally, I've learned all the lessons I've been put here to learn. Any moment now and this wondering and waiting will be over." Of course such is not the case or I would not be here, now, writing under the title of "Timnath Serah and what comes before."
"Follow the guide, not the destination." I've come to realize through this journey that both what I want and need the most is not reaching my destination (which is truly only a stopover), but rather what I want the most is simply to be lead by God. Towards or away. To the scorching sand or cool green grass, what does it matter so long as that pillar of cloud and fire is there in front of me?

posted by Lauren @ Monday, April 26, 2004