I guess it qualifies as a quote, it would have to be my life verse, Isaiah 40:31: "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
In youth group as a teenager, we were asked to identify a "life verse", a verse that impacts your life significantly (as if you could choose only one, ha!). I didn't really understand the concept, but I knew that Isaiah 40:31 was my favorite verse, and so I said that one.
I guess you could say it has become my life verse, over time.
It's a promise I cling to, one that I have clung to, many times in my life. It's a promise that says if we wait for the Lord, our strength will be renewed, we will rise up agin, we will move forward with endurance. If we only wait.
There are two periods of time in my life, in particular, that this verse had special meaning for me:
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First, when I was single, unattached, and longing for my future husband, longing for babies. Longing, desperate in a heart-aching sort of way. And it seemed like it would never come. I watched friend after friend get married. I went thru a period of time when I was the only adult member of my entire extended family that was not married or in a long-term relationship (and I have a huge family, so... that's pretty significant). I was single so long I watched as my married friends got divorced, and then remarried. That's right... some of my friends got married twice while I was still waiting for number one. Not that I'd want to go thru divorce, but... it didn't seem fair somehow.
If you've never been there, it's difficult to understand, but being single can be utterly painful. Being single when you feel in your heart that you were called to be a wife & mother, but the fulfillment of that calling sometimes seems as if it will never come... that is painful. Actually, chest-hurting painful.
And so I clung to God's promise. He didn't promise me a husband, or children, but He did promise that if I would be patient, if I would WAIT on Him... my strength would be renewed, and I would rise up.
And so, as patiently as my human self could muster... I waited for the Lord to reveal His plan. And then one day, He did.
********
Secondly, following the car accident I had in my mid-twenties, the verse took on a very literal meaning.
I spent every day for four years in constant pain. Constant. Every moment of every day I was in some level of pain.
There were days that I could not walk without assistance.
There were days when my parents had to help finish dressing me.
There were days when I could not move my arms enough to put the pain medication into my mouth.
I remember, during that time, if someone asked me how I was, I would often respond with "well, I woke up this morning, got out of my bed on my own, and can walk without assistance. It's a good day." And I meant it. (Lord, help me remember that perspective on life)
I know if you didn't see me during that time, it's hard to imagine me like that now. But for me, the memory is still fairly fresh. And humbling.
And that's my very point.
During that time, when I could choose to be discouraged and angry with God for allowing this to happen, I instead chose to WAIT on the Lord.
I clung to that promise.
If I wait on the Lord, He will renew my strength. He said He would. He promised it. He didn't give a time frame, but He promised He would do it. So I waited.
If I wait on the Lord, then someday, instead of falling on the floor, curled up, weak, waiting & hoping that someone would hear me call for help, someday... I will mount up on wings like eagles, I will rise of my own accord. So I waited.
If I wait on the Lord, then someday... instead of walking all hunched over & disfigured, I will walk & run of my own accord. If I just wait for Him. And so I waited.
And then, the time came. Four years later... it was time. And now, although I will have to be cautious for the rest of my life, and yes, back spasms sometimes even now cause me to gasp not only in pain, but in fear of returning to that place, but... I waited. And I have strength. And I rise. And I walk. And I have, on occasion, even run.
********
The fact is, I have clung to the promise on numerous occasions, large & small, and I can tell you, in my experience at least, God has always kept His promise.
In fact, I think you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who truly & honestly did what God asked (ie. waiting on Him), and didn't find that His promises were fulfilled.
********
So.. that's my favorite quote:
In youth group as a teenager, we were asked to identify a "life verse", a verse that impacts your life significantly (as if you could choose only one, ha!). I didn't really understand the concept, but I knew that Isaiah 40:31 was my favorite verse, and so I said that one.
I guess you could say it has become my life verse, over time.
It's a promise I cling to, one that I have clung to, many times in my life. It's a promise that says if we wait for the Lord, our strength will be renewed, we will rise up agin, we will move forward with endurance. If we only wait.
There are two periods of time in my life, in particular, that this verse had special meaning for me:
********
First, when I was single, unattached, and longing for my future husband, longing for babies. Longing, desperate in a heart-aching sort of way. And it seemed like it would never come. I watched friend after friend get married. I went thru a period of time when I was the only adult member of my entire extended family that was not married or in a long-term relationship (and I have a huge family, so... that's pretty significant). I was single so long I watched as my married friends got divorced, and then remarried. That's right... some of my friends got married twice while I was still waiting for number one. Not that I'd want to go thru divorce, but... it didn't seem fair somehow.
If you've never been there, it's difficult to understand, but being single can be utterly painful. Being single when you feel in your heart that you were called to be a wife & mother, but the fulfillment of that calling sometimes seems as if it will never come... that is painful. Actually, chest-hurting painful.
And so I clung to God's promise. He didn't promise me a husband, or children, but He did promise that if I would be patient, if I would WAIT on Him... my strength would be renewed, and I would rise up.
And so, as patiently as my human self could muster... I waited for the Lord to reveal His plan. And then one day, He did.
********
Secondly, following the car accident I had in my mid-twenties, the verse took on a very literal meaning.
I spent every day for four years in constant pain. Constant. Every moment of every day I was in some level of pain.
There were days that I could not walk without assistance.
There were days when my parents had to help finish dressing me.
There were days when I could not move my arms enough to put the pain medication into my mouth.
I remember, during that time, if someone asked me how I was, I would often respond with "well, I woke up this morning, got out of my bed on my own, and can walk without assistance. It's a good day." And I meant it. (Lord, help me remember that perspective on life)
I know if you didn't see me during that time, it's hard to imagine me like that now. But for me, the memory is still fairly fresh. And humbling.
And that's my very point.
During that time, when I could choose to be discouraged and angry with God for allowing this to happen, I instead chose to WAIT on the Lord.
I clung to that promise.
If I wait on the Lord, He will renew my strength. He said He would. He promised it. He didn't give a time frame, but He promised He would do it. So I waited.
If I wait on the Lord, then someday, instead of falling on the floor, curled up, weak, waiting & hoping that someone would hear me call for help, someday... I will mount up on wings like eagles, I will rise of my own accord. So I waited.
If I wait on the Lord, then someday... instead of walking all hunched over & disfigured, I will walk & run of my own accord. If I just wait for Him. And so I waited.
And then, the time came. Four years later... it was time. And now, although I will have to be cautious for the rest of my life, and yes, back spasms sometimes even now cause me to gasp not only in pain, but in fear of returning to that place, but... I waited. And I have strength. And I rise. And I walk. And I have, on occasion, even run.
********
The fact is, I have clung to the promise on numerous occasions, large & small, and I can tell you, in my experience at least, God has always kept His promise.
In fact, I think you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who truly & honestly did what God asked (ie. waiting on Him), and didn't find that His promises were fulfilled.
********
So.. that's my favorite quote:
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. -- Isaiah 40:31
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Wanna play along?
1 comment:
Just so you know, I LOVE this post! I love it because you wrote it, I love it because it's so real, I love it because I identify so closely with it, and I love it because it encourages me to keep waiting on the Lord. You're awesome :)
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