I am an action girl. I tend to be quick to think and even more quick to
move. I love adventure. Few things
frustrate me more than well-meaning people, sitting around discussing their
passions, the injustices of the world, while doing nothing about it. I form
conclusions quickly and, if not careful, can think critically of those that
spend years and years preparing to act. I’m just being honest. Even more humorous is the fact that God must
have thought it would be interesting to match me with a gifted strategic planner. You know, get the facts,
line them up, decide on a direction and THEN move. To me, that’s EXHAUSTING!
But to everything there is a
season and there is a season for everything. EVERYTHING….
Even waiting. This is where He has me. With clear direction to watch and wait.
Habakkuk
2:1 “I will climb my watchtower now, and wait to see what answer God will give
to my complaint.”
Psalm 37:7 “Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for
him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their
wicked schemes.”
So what’s a girl to do in
that watch tower place? Imagine someone with ADHD confined to a tree stand for weeks on end and you will understand
what I am getting at. I have been doing lots of reading, lots of
listening. A ridiculous amount of
singing. Praying all the time. Asking
for clear direction. Changing sitting/ kneeling positions and then doing it all
over again. Picture it yet? Doesn’t appear to involve much action.
But the same God who made me,
knows me. He knows the waiting is good for me. He knows being still is doing a
work. He also delights in conversations with me. He has pulled up a chair next
to mine and is singing with me. And sometimes, like this morning, He whispers.
“Do you hear it? Shhh… listen. Stop
moving….listen. It’s faint right now,
but it’s there. The rumble. Do you hear it? Shhh…listen.”
That was it.
A rumble. That’s kind of
strange. In a tower, listening for a rumble. Then it hit me.
What am I waiting for? What
am I asking for? I want to win! I
want Him to WIN! I want TRUTH to
prevail. I want to walk out of this with clear direction…knowing that He spoke,
we heard and we obeyed. I want ACTION. I
want to be RESCUED. And with all my
heart, I know that it’s coming. A VICTORY!!
But what come before that? Before
a victory there is always a fight. Something is contended for. There is a
measuring of one against another. There
is a scuffle. A raucous….a noise. A
rumble.
God often took His people
into battle. He devised the most creative ways for them to win. Marching around
cities with trumpets, stepping into water to escape the enemy, or dipping seven
times into a dirty river to experience healing. Fearful warriors taking small troops into
battle with only ram’s horns and broken clay pots. Battle plans that made them
feel silly. Made them feel powerless….misunderstood.
One thing I am sure of. Battles produce a sound. Whether earthly or
heavenly, there is noise. Clashing of weapons, wrestling to defend. Footsteps in motion. Calls to action. Cries
of the wounded. Conflict.
Battles are tiring. There is
no rest in the middle of one. We long for an end. We yearn for peace.
Stillness. Quiet. We tend to associate quiet and calm as good things, and they
can be. We try to structure our homes and lives to be predictable, chaos free
and smoothly run. All good things, if they don’t keep us from being part of the
battle.
But VICTORY has a noise as well. Sit through a high school football
game on a Friday night if you aren’t sure what I mean. Hear the cheers on the
sidelines when the Cinderella team does the unimaginable.
This morning I heard the
rumbling of horse’s hooves. Thundering towards me carrying the messenger with
the news of the battle won. A rumble. It’s faint. Since I don’t know how far it’s
coming from, I don’t know how soon it will be here.
Not only have I not been left
alone in my watchtower, He has also given me something to do. I've been given permission to listen to the
rumble.
I dare you. Try it.
Shhhh…quiet.
Do you hear it?
It’s ok. I know, the tower is shaking, isn’t
it? Don’t panic. It’s a good sound.
A victory messenger is on its
way.
