Remain spiritually tenacious

"If our hopes are being disappointed just now, it means that they are being purified. There is nothing noble the human mind has ever hoped for or dreamed of that will not be fulfilled. One of the greatest strains in life is the strain of waiting for God. "  From Oswald Chambers, "My utmost for His highest".  His point for today, we must remain "spiritually tenacious" while we wait.

As Lent begins, I find myself once again, waiting.   Waiting for something to happen to propel me in the direction I need to go.  Something to carry me through the ups and downs of the economy, the fickle job market, the political uncertainties.  I've asked, if not demanded that God help, to fix the problem, even.  Then I wait.

Yesterday at the Eucharist for the First Sunday in Lent, and again later in the day at the closing service for a Cursillo, I heard the message repeated- Lent is a time for reflection, at time to face the question, who am I, really? To examine whether or not I could ever have a fraction of the spiritual tenacity demonstrated by Jesus when he faced temptation in the desert. 

Then I think again about the lessons I've learned in this life and the fact that I am where I am because I drove the car that delivered me to this spot.  I drove it, filled it with gas, kept the tires inflated, changed the oil- I did every thing I could to keep it moving and personally chose the roads upon which it traveled. Now it crashes and I ask God to fix it?

God is doing that.  God is showing me that I drove the car into the ditch and that only I can pull it out.  Then I have a choice.  Continue down the same road, or chose another.  Or better yet, to allow him to drive. 

I am waiting, but I know that while I wait for the driver, there are plenty of things I need to do for myself.  So in the meantime, I will be busy doing just that.