Learning While We Wait
Paraphrased from Rick Warren
“I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold.
They will call on my name, and I will answer them.”
Zechariah 13:9 (NLT)
As we all know, some prayers are answered immediately, while others take weeks, months, or even years. Over the years, T.R.A.C. has dominated my prayer life as I’ve asked God to bring finances, staff and campers every camp season.
Can you relate?
Mentors pray constantly for their mentees, often wondering if chains of dysfunction will break and mentees will choose a different path than the one modeled by birth parents. I don’t even know how many times I’ve prayed for two of our former foster daughters who we met at T.R.A.C. to hit rock bottom and finally turn to God. Last week, one of them called with the latest crisis, and I felt like hitting my head against the wall.
But God . . .
God says to pray expectantly . . .
And wait on His timing.
Rick Warren wrote in a recent devotion, “In the waiting, there is blessing . . . For two of the most important prayers I've ever prayed, God took 13 years to answer one of them and 25 years for the other. But he answered! . . . Why did it take so long? Because while I was working on the prayer, God was working on me.”
Warren continues, “How do metalsmiths know when gold and silver are pure? When they can see their reflection in them. God can see his reflection in you when all the impurities have burned out of your life—after you’ve been through the fire. He says that, after he’s done the testing and purification, “I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. They will call on my name, and I will answer them.” (Zechariah 13:9 NLT)
Take heart . . . and keep praying.
Prayer: Lord, help us not to lose hope. Turn our unbelief and doubt to faith. In the stress of raising money, recruiting volunteers and finding campers, help us never forget our why to glorify you and bring your hope to those we serve. Work on behalf of every camper and mentee and pursue them with your relentless love. Use T.R.A.C. and T.R.A.C.life to bring your message of abundant life now and in eternity with you. Amen.