Prepare in the Waiting

I like to plan. I don't hate the unexpected as much as other planner-types, but I definitely find comfort in knowing there's a structure. I don't sleep well if I feel like my ducks aren't all in a row. I don't particularly know why I want ducks in a row, but I know if I don't, I'll start quacking at the seams. Okay, that was bad.

In seriousness, Hailee and I both plan like crazy. We like order and organization. We certainly don't always stick to it, but it's planning that allows us to break out of the box without the walls crumbling down.

So 4 weeks ago I painted the nursery.

3 weeks ago, Hailee and I put together the crib.

2 weeks ago, I finished the rest of the furniture in the room.

About 10 days ago, we packed our emergency bags.

We're about as planned as we can get. And now we wait. There's really no way to plan what happens next. I guess technically there is, but Hailee and I are both of the mind that we should let her body and Lincoln work on their natural timetable.

So we wait.

Isn't that the worst? We're so excited to meet the little guy. Hailee is ready to just be able to breathe normally again. I just hate waiting. But that's where we are. The waiting game.

You remember that popular song from a few years ago (okay maybe more than a few) that says "Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord." This is taken from Isaiah 40:31, the really popular verse about eagles. NFL fans have probably shared it recently on your social media: "But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

It is in the waiting that our strength is found. The wording of that text seems to suggest that not only will our strength be renewed back to our refreshed selves, but that the Lord will honor that waiting with a supernatural strength.

So instead of a time of waiting, I'm going to call this our time of resting. Our time of renewing. We'll need all the rest we can get (as every parent ever hasn't hesitated to tell us oh, anytime they get the chance, and even fairly often they don't have the chance.) in the coming months, but now, God is preparing us for a supernatural thing that only He can prepare us for.

Full disclosure: waiting is fowl (I couldn't resist). You know what's awesome?

Resting.