| “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” Psalm 27:14 NIV |
| One summer evening, long after sunset, I lingered in my garden. The trees and flowers appeared black, silhouetted against the light gray of the sky. Although my summer garden contained beautiful colors, at that time of the day—no matter how hard I squinted—I saw only black. Although the flowers had not changed their colors, the different lighting had altered my perception.
It reminded me of times of intense pain when I was surrounded by darkness. No matter how hard I tried, I could not see the bright, lively colors of life. I saw only black. And I was left with no choice but to wait through the night until the morning light came. But waiting is stressful and hard because in life we don’t know when the light will break through. Simply waiting is also much more difficult than trying to do something to remedy our situation. Oswald Chambers says, “One of the greatest stresses in life is the stress of waiting for God.” It takes strength and courage for me—for us all—to endure the stress that comes with the times of darkness and waiting. But if we wait, focus on God and follow his leading, he will change our perceptions and once again we will be able to see and enjoy the beautiful colors all around us. |
