I am not a very patient person. In fact, I usually want what I want now! But as I grow older, I am beginning to see that there is some value in waiting that you can't get from instant gratification. I have noticed that when I have to wait longer than I expect, when I receive it, WOW! Amazingly, that's biblical.

Proverbs 13:12

¹² Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.

This principle is true of SO many areas. Like waiting for a spouse. Longing for another child. Or, my all time favorite, our eagerness to get to heaven! For me, this year, 2009, has been a picture of what it will be like when the desire to see heaven is fulfilled. For 10 years, I have begged the Lord to lead us to a biblical church. One where the Word of God was preached and the congregation was striving to live biblically. Where I could take my children with the assurance that they were being exposed to and taught the Bible. Where there were mature Christians that they could seek to emulate. To be honest, my heart was sick. I thought that it was a hope that never would see fulfillment. But God is good, so very good. He led us, in His perfect time, to a church that is all those things and more.

Now, I know that any church is made up of imperfect people, so I don't expect perfection, but when you have a group of people that are actively striving to line their lives up with the Word of God...WOW! It is truly a tree of life.

~Annemarie