WAITING....

Good Morning Y'all!

We are still WAITING on baby Asher...

While waiting we have:

Made several trips to the park.

Played in the mud and rain. (For some reason the video I have won't load so I will try in another post).

Chad and I watched all of the Indian Jones movies and Catching Fire. What is next I do not know...perhaps Star Wars because I love Star Wars.

Jude and I made peanut butter chocolate chip oatmeal for breakfast this morning and it was delicious.

Pouring and sampling the oats at the same time.

Yummmmmm!

All this waiting is driving me insane! I am so ready for Asher to be here already. And quite frankly I thought he would be. Jude arrived a mere 2 hours after his "due date" and Shiloh was nearly a week early so I was thinking at least by the due date. But no it seems that Asher is content to cook. I should have made harsher threats in my eviction notice. Perhaps if I threaten to film his birth and show it to his significant others...

But Chad made a good observation the other day that has given me things to think about (other than my fantasizing about going into labor and imagining contractions every 10 seconds). He said that this must be what the disciples and early church felt like as the were thinking that Jesus would return at any moment. 

And it is difficult this waiting as it is or should be as followers of Jesus. We are eagerly waiting for him but we still have to go on with our work. We need to be ready but sometimes our work makes it seem like we are messing up our readiness. We know we can't just sit around and wait but we don't want to get started on something new because it could be any time. 

Our house is ready for the birth (and has been for a month now) but I have to keep cleaning and straightening up to keep it that way. And I am getting tired of making sure everything is in order. And sometimes when I follow Jesus I am ready and on top of things and sometimes I am so so so tired of trying to make sure things are in order. But there is good news with Jesus because really he has already made me ready for his return (yes I need to be faithful - but he is my faithfulness - so really he is doing all the work). He has already accomplished everything and I only get bogged down because I try to do his job instead of just resting in him. 

Two passages keep coming to mind, so I'll share them and you can make of them what you will:

Romans 8:20-25 The Voice (VOICE)

20 You see, all of creation has collapsed into emptiness, not by its own choosing, but by God’s. Still He placed within it adeep and abiding hope 21 that creation would one day be liberated from its slavery to corruption and experience the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 For we know that all creation groans in unison with birthing pains up until now. 23 And there is more; it’s not just creation—all of us are groaning together too. Though we have already tasted the firstfruits of the Spirit, we are longing for the total redemption of our bodies that comes when our adoption as children of God is complete— 24 for we have been saved in this hope and for this future. But hope does not involve what we already have or see. For who goes around hoping for what he already has? 25 But if we wait expectantly for things we have never seen, then we hope with true perseverance and eager anticipation.

Philippians 3:7-14 The Voice (VOICE)

7 But whatever I used to count as my greatest accomplishments, I’ve written them off as a loss because of the Anointed One. 8 And more so, I now realize that all I gained and thought was important was nothing but yesterday’s garbage compared to knowing the Anointed Jesus my Lord. For Him I have thrown everything aside—it’s nothing but a pile of waste—so that I may gain Him. 9 When it counts, I want to be found belonging to Him, not clinging to my own righteousness based on law, but actively relying on the faithfulness of the Anointed One. This is true righteousness, supplied by God, acquired by faith. 10 I want to know Him inside and out. I want to experience the power of His resurrection and join in His suffering, shaped by His death, 11 so that I may arrive safely at the resurrection from the dead. 12 I’m not there yet, nor have I become perfect; but I am charging on to gain anything and everything the Anointed One, Jesus, has in store for me—and nothing will stand in my way because He has grabbed me and won’t let me go.13 Brothers and sisters, as I said, I know I have not arrived; but there’s one thing I am doing: I’m leaving my old life behind, putting everything on the line for this mission. 14 I am sprinting toward the only goal that counts: to cross the line, to win the prize, and to hear God’s call to resurrection life found exclusively in Jesus the Anointed.