Being Dormant

The time between Here and There

I appreciate the hundreds of warm wishes and kind words from my substack followers and others. Thank you so much. And as I said, I can’t respond to each message, but I assure you I am reading all of them - and I have nearly 200 more to go! There were also some really good ideas and helpful suggestions we will implement.

Two short polls before today’s substack:

Lamentations 3:25 ESV

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.

Have you ever waited…and waited…and waited for an answer from the Lord? I mean, really waited. Have you waited silently without even a tiny whisper or a hint of direction from Him after your many prayers? As we wait impatiently, we tap our fingers on the table or our toes on the floor in exasperated silence. Does that make our waiting any easier? Or less troublesome?

The Oxford Dictionary defines patience as:

The capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.

The definition, in my opinion, forgot a few words. How about this definition of patience:

The capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, frustration, disappointment, loss, sadness, loneliness, or suffering without getting angry, upset, or discouraged.

We wait on the Lord to act – to deliver, answer prayers, renew our strength, restore our health, and direct our steps. We wait on Him because that’s what our faith admonishes us to do.

Perhaps a different perspective of “waiting” is in order. Maybe a lot is happening while we wait. What changes are occurring inside US while we wait for our steps to be ordered by the Lord?

What can we learn from the germination of a seed? This little 3-minute video explains a lot:

What analogies can we draw from this seed germination video?

1. Every seed has several internal parts and each has a purpose. Each part is used in the appropriate way, at the appropriate time. The coat protects the delicate inner layers until the “action” is ready to happen and the plant is ready to grow. Are we being protected and remaining dormant until the time is right to spring forth?

2. Seeds remain dormant until the “conditions are right” for germination. Are we in waiting because God is preparing the path and lining things up for our next venture?

3. All seeds need oxygen, water, and the correct temperature to germinate. Our oxygen is prayer. Our water (and food) is the Word of God. The correct temperature includes our circumstances. Perhaps more time to spend with God is His gift to us before our plate is filled with a new direction, which will come with new tasks and a long to-do list once we re-engage.

4. The coat/shell pops open when the seed is full (of water). Notice what is required for growth: to be full. And then for the environment to be prepped. The first thing that grows is the root…then the stem…then the leaves. The delicate baby plant can be snuffed out at any point by inclement weather, hungry critters, or environmental toxicities. When we take on a new position or venture, we must still be protected. The closer we have grown to God during our dormant time, the more we have to draw on as we grow forward.

5. As the plant grows, it gets its food from the sun. As we continue to grow, we continue to get our food from the Son.

Perhaps this little analogy will help all of us, myself included, to view our waiting between “here and there” more insightfully, more restfully, more thoughtfully, and yes, more patiently.