Waiting on the Lord

Catherine cooks lunch for about 30 people every day. Rice and beans with cooked greens. Once a week, she gets the day off, and this place turns into a real deal, family-style restaurant! We make Rolex for many many people. I'm thinking the name Rolex came from"roll-eggs." Either way, these egg-veggie-flat bread-wraps are super yummy! And truly, Tyler makes the best in all of Uganda. No one has ever argued with that statement, so we're assuming it's a fact. Here's what our day looked like today:

9AM: We realized Catherine had switched her day off this week from Thursday to Wednesday... and it's Wednesday... and we're cooking... and we have 8 eggs in our tray... and few tomatoes and no onions... and 30 Rolex need to be prepared, cooked, and served... and we have a "staff meeting" right now to attend... and I just cancelled school in my mind...

Really, it's not so disastrous.

10AM: Meeting is over. Tyler loads up a few of the neighbor kids to go to town with him for veggies while I go to the chicken house and the other missionary kitchen in search of more eggs. Whew, there's plenty of eggs! We could always buy more eggs, but local chickens make lousy eggs... the yolks are white/clear because they are not fed well. I make my way to the neighbor's house to borrow onions.

10:30AM: Double diaper changes, collect children from bothering neighbors, turn on the fridge and fill with some sodas for Tyler, and regulate 10-minute intervals for boys sharing a borrowed bike.

11:00AM: I strap Elisabeth to my back, and in-between nursing and bouncing Samuel, I light the fire, start cracking eggs, and call in the reserves. Grandma starts cutting onions, and Abigail is now washing tomatoes with Lilah.

11:20AM: Phone rings. It's Tyler making sure the fire has been started. He's on his way home.

11:30AM-1:30: Rolex Making Time! Today we made 26. Tyler cooks, and I wait for instructions while juggling the needs (wants) of 6 children and anyone else that might need something while Tyler is busy. Add more charcoal, fill the oil bottle, cut peppers, get a rag off the laundry line to wipe his hands on, go get a level for the construction manager, call kids in to deliver Rolex to the masons, whatever it may be. I'm the waiter. We really -really- love this time together.

Week in, week out, this is what we do. But today, the Lord showed me something about my service to Him.

First off, I don't know of anyone who loves their husband more than I love Tyler. (Now wives, you're supposed to read this and be thinking, "No way... I'm sure I love my husband more...") But my love for Jesus far surpasses any love I could possibly have for any person. While Tyler is making the Rolex, we have a great time just being with each other, and I am glad when he needs something from me so I can be of use. This is what it is like to "Wait on the Lord."

Wait on the Lord: 

be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: 

wait, I say, on the Lord.

Psalm 27:14

We don't wait on the Lord like we wait for our turn in the bathroom... Hurry up so I can do what I need to do!

We don't wait on the Lord like we wait for our turn to get a tooth pulled either... Take your time with that guy, I know I will dread what's coming to me next.

I haven't been to a restaurant with a good waiter in a really long time, but you may know the kind of waiter I'm talking about. Before your glass gets near empty, they are there to fill it. They are waiting to serve you - with joy! This is how I want to serve Jesus.

I'm not waiting for an answer from Him about anything right now in my life. I'm not waiting for Him to heal me or change any rotten circumstances. I'm just abiding -hanging out with Him- until He asks me to do something for Him. If I get ahead of His lead, I am no longer waiting on Him. It would be ridiculous for a waiter to bring 5 glasses of water to you when you first sit down at the table. Even if you drink all 5 glasses throughout your meal, the timing of the service is wrong. I want to abide in Christ, so that I am so close to Him that perfect timing in service to Him flows naturally... super-naturally.

Jesus said:

Abide in Me, and I in you....

For without Me you can do nothing.

John 15:4-5