WAITING ON "PERFECT"

How many times have you said the following:

"When I lose 10#, 20#, 30 #, etc, THEN I'll............"

"When we have enough money, THEN we'll............."

"When this relationship is healed, THEN I'll be happy"

"When this problem is resolved, THEN I'll be happy"

"When I get this promotion, THEN I'll be happy."

"When I am healed of this sickness, THEN I'll be happy".

"When we have a baby, THEN I'll be happy."

"When our children are grown and on their own, THEN we'll..........."

"When I retire, THEN I'll .................".


I don't know about you, but I find that I am always waiting on the PERFECT set of circumstances, waiting for everything in my life to fall into place.  But as the years continue to creep up on me, I am beginning to realize there is NEVER going to be a day when EVERYTHING is perfect in my life....at least not in THIS life. 

In the meantime, I am wasting time and failing to enjoy what I DO have to enjoy.

Over the last several years God has been trying to hammer a verse into my head, "THIS is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in IT."  Psalm 118: 24.  You see I am a worrier and the "what if's" can drive me crazy and, if I let them, steal my joy.  God has been trying to teach me that "sufficient unto today is the evil thereof "(Matt. 6:34).  TODAY is the only day I have and when I bring tomorrow's troubles into TODAY, I rob myself of all that God had for me TODAY. 

But today, I heard a comment on K-Love about wasting time waiting on things to be PERFECT and it hit me that I have been doing that all my life.  Again, Psalm 118:24 came to my mind.  But this time, instead of the emphasis being on TODAY, it was on REJOICE and BE GLAD IN IT. 

It was if the Lord were saying to me, "Pat, things are not ever going to be perfect and you are wasting precious time waiting for them to be.  In the meantime you are missing the blessings you DO have waiting on what you DON'T have." 

What about YOU?  Have you been waiting on something in YOUR life to become perfect?  Are you wishing things could be like they used to be?  Are you waiting on circumstances to change?  Are you grieving for a lost love?  Are you yearning for something God has not allowed you to have? 

It is true that God tells us to wait on Him, to trust Him and to seek Him for what we desire.  But, while you are waiting on those prayers to be answered or those needs to be met, what are you doing with what you DO have?  What are you going to do with TODAY?

I urge you to realize that PERFECT is not going to come til we reach Heaven.  Oh the circumstance that you are praying over may very well work out just the way you want it in God's time.  But...there will be another circumstance that is imperfect waiting in the wings to take its place.  

So today, will you join me in thanking God for all the blessings you DO have?  Will you choose to REJOICE and BE GLAD in THIS day? 

Helen Steiner Rice put it beautifully:

Yesterday's dead,

Tomorrow's unborn,

So there's nothing to fear

And nothing to mourn,

For all that is past

And all that has been

Can never return

To be lived once again...

And what lies ahead

Or the things that will be

Are still in GOD'S HANDS

So it is not up to ME

To live in the future

That is God's great unknown

For the past and present

God claims for His own..

So all I need do

Is to live for TODAY

And trust God to show me

THE TRUTH and the WAY..

For it's only the memory

Of things that have been

And expecting tomorrow

To bring trouble again

That fills my today

Which God wants to bless

With uncertain fears

And borrowed distress...

For all I need live for

Is this one little minute,

For life's HERE and NOW

And eternity's in it.

---Helen Steiner Rice