Waiting in Expectation

“In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” —Psalm 5:3

Every new day is a gift from God, a chance to breathe and begin again. This morning, I notice that the light is coming sooner each day, the sky is bright blue, the sound of birds is clear, and my heart is grateful for all this and so much more.

I am not automatically grateful every day, though. Some days I wake up tired and grumpy and wonder why God doesn’t do better by me, as I think God should. Shouldn’t I have more of this or that? Shouldn’t God be grateful for all I do for God?! Shouldn’t I be able to tell God what to do today? On those days a little dark thing wells up in me.

I think about the theme for this Lent’s messages, Confronting Suffering and Evil, and this Sunday’s message, March 31, Is God in Sickness or Natural Disasters?  For a moment I wonder why I picked a sermon title that can be answered, “yes.”  Of course, God is in the midst of sickness and disasters, already working to heal and bring life. Yet I wonder why God doesn’t do everything I think God should do when I think God ought to do it, and again find myself in that little dark ungrateful place, angry a bit with God. I’m going to talk about this and more this Sunday, March 31.

This Lent is pushing me to repent. “Repentance isn’t merely apologizing for sin. Biblical repentance is turning toward God and changing our thinking to see everything through God’s eyes.” (Upper Room Disciplines 2019, 3/23/19)

When I turn my eyes toward God and remember that God is always working to bring life, my heart begins to turn, too. I wait in expectation for you, O God, for all the good you will do this day. And I am grateful.

Blessings, Sharon

P.S.  Remember that this Sunday, March 31, this a fifth Sunday, which means there is no Sunday School and we all worship together. We’ll be celebrating baptisms at 8:15 a.m. and 9:45 a.m.  Praise God!