Where We Wait

I was driving home after church this morning when I started feeling anxious. Uncertainties in my life started bubbling up, leaving me with knots in my stomach. After talking to my mom, she suggested I write about it.

The fact is, I know I shouldn't worry. I know that it is all taken care of. I trust in Him; however, I am still human. I still wrestle with decisions and become anxious about the future. The only way I know how to deal with these feelings is to pray... and wait. I wait for an answer. I wait to know what is coming next. Instead of robbing myself of today, I place those problems in the hands of God.

What happens when the answer doesn't come when I think it should? I wait patiently because it's not about me. It's about God's great plan for me. Where does He need me to be in order to serve Him to my full potential?

I started thinking about this "wait time." Because the timing is in His hands, I need to wait for His lead. I can't the driver's seat of my life and expect it to all work out. I don't know what the future holds, but He does. In the meantime, how I spend my wait time is crucial. We can spend that time worrying and overanalyzing the past or future, or we can spend it in peace. We can surrender our problems and live joyfully. Where we wait makes all the difference in the world. Where we wait determines how we spend one of God's greatest gifts - the present.

"I will not fear the storm. Your help is on the way."

Waiting Past the Knots & Tangles

We are constantly being told to live in the moment. Today is all that we can handle, so why stress about the past or worry about the future. Personally, I do my best to live one day at a time. I pray to forgive past mistakes and patiently wait for what is to come; however, this is a daily battle. I am continually tripping and falling because I am human.

This week was very trying for me. There are a lot of uncertainties in my life that are causing stress (and yes, even a zit on my forehead). I have been losing sleep, eating horribly, and feeling down about myself. Enter self-loathing, and you've got a pretty fun person to be around. I guess I'm in one of those ruts that seems difficult to dig out of. My friends and family tell me it's probably the time of year, and who knows, they could be right. No matter where these feelings stem from, I need to figure out how to flip the switch and move forward.

Today I read a kind of cool analogy about life: 

"And remember, our lives our like tapestries, we may only be able to see the one side that looks like knots and tangles thread, but on the other side, each one of those knots and tangles are a part of a beautiful picture."

I have been frustrated because I only see what is going on right now. I focus too much on the knots and tangles of my past, while I should be patiently waiting for the beautiful picture in the end. 

Use Your People

Writing is a huge part of my curriculum. Not every student that comes into my classroom is going to be a great writer, but they will be writing frequently. Whether they like it or not, writing is an unavoidable tool that drives many aspects of our lives. 

One of the most challenging parts of teaching writing comes with peer editing. How do I effectively teach someone how to find errors, ask questions, and help peers strive to do their best? I don't necessarily have the answer to this, but I do know that we practice. Over and over, we will peer edit. Tedious? Yes. Important? Absolutely.

One of my key phrases for peer editing is "use your people." I tell students to find people that are going to help them. If I know that my sister is a grammar guru, then I will ask for her help with commas. If I know that my best friend is an excellent speller, then she becomes my personal spell checker. I want my students to recognize what people are going to help them become their best. 

This idea doesn't stop there. I believe it's a concept that can be taken outside of the classroom. If I have financial questions, I generally ask my dad. If I need someone to listen a personal issue, I call my friend that is a good listener. I choose my people. I use my people. 

 

The other night, I was having a conversation with someone. I found myself getting upset because she didn't seem to know much about the subject. I realized later that she wasn't the person I should have been talking to about the issue. I had chosen the wrong person. 

We don't have to have all the answers; however, we do need to know when it is time to reach out and use our people.