In a few days, the kids will head back to school with their new backpacks and tennis shoes, if they still wear tennis shoes to school. Maybe it’s flip flops. I’m not up on that any more, and I’m okay with it. August was a big month for us when our kids were younger. A new school year was always the ideal clean slate, a fresh start to a new day. It meant the old was washed away and the new and unknown lent hope and a few butterflies in the stomach for what lay ahead. The days of waiting were not days of idleness. There was work to do in the wait. Productive activities such as shopping for new clothes, getting new books, and organizing bedrooms to dress quickly in the morning were all part of the agenda. Waiting was an active verb as the weeks before school quickly arrived. However, waiting was not a synonym for worry. Although we had a few butterflies, we were full of hope, full of anticipation for what would soon unfold.
Waiting on God feels very similar to waiting on a new school year. There’s a fresh start around the corner. There are hills to overcome, but God says wait. Tonight, Clifford (CJ), my friend Jean’s precious grandson, awaits a new heart. They have tests to run, preparations to make, and yet, God says, “My timing is perfect. Wait on me. I have you in the center of my plan.” He tells us to wait. “Be still and know I am God.” We give Him praise in the wait. We look forward with hope because God can do all things. No more worrying, no more wondering what is next. No more dark of night even in the night. Enjoy the moment you have. Breathe again. Rest in His plan. (For the latest update on CJ, click on the blue box in the sidebar that says A New Heart for CJ.)
How many moments I have wasted, letting them go by consumed with worry, and flat missing the blessing. Life is sacred. Life was meant to be lived. Each minute of life was meant to be enjoyed. We choke out His fullness when we shortchange the wait. Revel in it. It is the exact opposite of what we want to do in times like waiting on a new heart for CJ, but there is so much blessing in the here and now. The next time someone you love pops in the room while you are on the computer, stop, look up and be present. Take it all in because in a blink of the eye, it’s a new day. The kids are all out of the house. There are no more crazy August school days. Those times are gone. However, there are new ones that wait just around the corner. Let’s not miss one of them—because we might get a glimpse of Eternity in the flash of a moment.
a view through annie's eyes 
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