Withstand the Wait
Twelve weeks and two days. That’s how long I’ve been waiting for our metal shop to be installed. And in all honesty, I could say 146 weeks or nearly three years because that’s the amount of time that we have been living here in the middle of the woods in the great state of Texas with little to no outside storage. Lord Jesus help.
Now, all of this might sound a bit dramatic to the common passerby, but have you lived in the middle of the woods with all men and all of their manly things? I’ve got rubber boots, gas cans, fishing poles, tackle boxes, bows and arrows, bb guns and basketballs hidden in every nook and cranny I can manage. So when the time finally came for us to order the shop that would become a lovely haven for all of the menacing masculinity, I was ecstatic. Thrilled. Elated. And already planning every detail of its organization. [I am who I am, what can I say?]
When we placed the order, they told us it would take five to six weeks for the metal to arrive. Feeling generous, I made a mental note of the “worst case scenario” date at six weeks out.
Six weeks came and went. Sorry, we are still waiting on part of the metal for the subfloor. It will be two more weeks.
Two weeks passed. We are so sorry, the subfloor is still delayed. We apologize, but we don’t have an expected delivery at this time. Hopefully soon.
Another month passed. The final materials just arrived! We will install next week.
Next week passed. We were a bit delayed with everyone else waiting for install. You’re on the list.
Finally, install day. They arrive. Take one look at the build site. You’re going to need some more dirt. We’ll be back Monday.
Monday passes. Oh, we thought you were going to let us know when the dirt was ready. We’ll be there next week.
New install day. Y’ALL. I absolutely kid you not. There was a thirty percent chance of rain that day. It literally POURED in the twenty minutes before they arrived to install. We’re sorry. It’s just too wet. We will have to wait for it to dry. We will be back Friday or Saturday or maybe Tuesday.
At this point, I could cry, but I might as well laugh about it. One day I’ll get all those manly things organized and put away, but for now, I’ve got a yard full of metal that if I’m being honest I half considered jigsawing together myself. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do!
[Editor’s Note: If my mother were allowed to interject here, she would remind me, like mothers do, of the fact that this is not the first time I have been in this predicament. Several years ago, we were building and on slab day they came to form up the concrete and at the very last minute let me know that we would need to raise the dirt pad. And now my mother likes to remind me every single time it rains that I should be grateful for that delay otherwise I would have water in my house and wouldn’t that be a mess and blah blah blah thank God for mommas.]
Here’s the deal. As much as I want that shop done. As much as I have been counting the days. As anxious as I have been. I don’t want it built on a faulty foundation. The foundation has got to be solid to withstand the weight of what’s being built on top of it.
So what about you? Maybe you’ve been waiting on a dream for far too long. Maybe you feel like there has been delay after delay. Maybe you have felt the rains pummeling down. Keep working that foundation.
Perhaps God is working on something even greater than you expected. And all that you are going through now is preparing your foundation to withstand the weight of the blessings that are to come. Perhaps delay is not denial but instead preparation for your purpose.
Don’t give up. Don’t lose hope. Continue to prepare your foundation with diligence. It’s hard work. It can be messy. But all that God is building in the chapters of your story depends upon this moment. Firm up your foundation. Prepare for your purpose. The rain is beginning to slow and the sun is breaking through…
