Welcome to Fresh Starts and New Mercies! We have a line-up of beautiful women posting on Tuesdays and Fridays to offer inspiration and practical ideas for starting a new year.
Because God has a fresh start in grace for each of us.
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Today’s guest is Meredith Bernard on waiting passionately. (How do we do that?)
Meredith is a perfectly imperfect Daughter of the King, wife to her Cattle Man and “Mama” to two littles ages 3 and 6. After running from God and past sins for too long, she was rescued, redeemed and baptized while 9 months pregnant with her son. After giving up her “stay-on-the-road” job for her “stay-on-the-farm” dream, she now uses the passion God has given her to encourage others through her Lens and her Pen. She tries not to take herself or anyone else too seriously and enjoys time on the farm homeschooling and in her kitchen cooking; but mostly she enjoys eating. Follow her #merdiemoments, kitchen mishaps, days raking hay and chasing God-Sized dreams on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
“Wait passionately for God,
don’t leave the path.
He’ll give you your place in the sun
while you watch the wicked lose it.”
For all of the words that I have in my vocabulary, (both real and made up), some never get used together. Ever. So when I read this scripture in Psalms and see “wait” and “passionately” living in harmony next to one another, I have to take a step back…and dig in.
I have a hard enough time waiting. For anything. Evidently this trait has been passed along to my “Mini-Me,” who wants everything “when she wants it” and no later. Yeah, that has led to some serious Come-to-Jesus moments in this house.
On the flip side, I don’t have a hard time being passionate about many things. When it comes to something I really want and feel like I, or my family, really needs, I can draw from all sorts of passion to make it happen.
But waiting passionately isn’t something I’ve ever been good at. I can’t even say it’s something I’ve ever tried. But what if…?
What have I missed out on because I haven’t waited on God with the same passion I’ve felt when I’ve told Him so many times I needed Him to do something, without waiting long enough for Him to give me an answer? To give me His answer.
Maybe God knew what He was doing putting these two words side-by-side…you think?
As surely as God gives us passions to pursue, He is surely able to see them through.
The problem for us comes in the waiting. The problem is in the wanting these dreams now…or yesterday. Our gaze gets diverted from Him, and we veer off the path that leads to their fulfillment…in Him.
God has promised to give us our place in the sun and keep the wicked from it. This promise is based on the premise that we will walk and wait passionately on the path He has set.
So, how can we passionately pursue our dreams His way this year?
1. Wait passionately.
By waiting for Him with the same zeal we have to see our desires fulfilled, we will be better equipped to live our passions out in a Godly way, because in the waiting He grows us. And in the waiting, we get to know Him.
2. Stay on the path.
When we pursue our God-given passions and keep our eyes fixed on the Giver of them, we set ourselves up to have Him fulfill them. In His time, His will, and His way.
When we take things into our own hands and go our own way, we inevitably fall and fail, because we can’t see what’s around the bend the way He can. God never makes a wrong move.
3. Embrace our place in the Son.
In order to be prepared for our coming place in the sun, we must first embrace our place in the Son.
When we live fully in the Son, we can see clearly where His light is leading.
Friend, we are on this road of passionate waiting together, and I’m excited to start doing both this year.
Now it’s your turn: Do you have a dream or passion you’re pursuing? How do you handle the waiting?
Linking up today with Brittany’s #FellowshipFridays. Join us to encourage and be encouraged.
Faith Spilling Over... Into Everyday Life 
January 16, 2015 at 11:31 am
visiting from #FellowshipFridays, sometimes we are all in too much of a hurry and this made me stop and think today! Thanks for sharing:)
January 16, 2015 at 7:33 pm
Hi Sharon! Thank you for stopping by today and I’m glad these words were some food for thought…they were for me, too. 😉 Blessings!
January 16, 2015 at 12:41 pm
How I needed these words today, sweet friend. As I’ve been seeking God in when and how to bring in extra income, I’ve started feeling my self pull to find my own way. Instead of just waiting upon Him to lead me. I need to stop…and keep my FOCUS on Him and follow whatever step He places in front of me. To be faithful in the responsibilities I now have–those that won’t go away when (and if) He leads me to do more. Thank you, Meredith, for faithfully following His call to share what He is teaching you. You are a blessing indeed!
January 16, 2015 at 7:38 pm
Oh yes, I know what you mean, Sabra. How often have I tried to take the reins from God (more than not, that’s for sure.) You are right…stopping first to look around at what He’s doing and telling me to do is that BEST first step. Love your faithfulness to His call on yours and David’s life and how you live it out…more faithfully than you even realize. 😉 Love you!
January 16, 2015 at 1:57 pm
Meredith, this post is so timely. I am not a waiter, either. I am a doer. And oh, how many times I have rushed ahead of God because I didn’t wait to hear his voice or heed his plan. Christine Caine’s message at She Speaks still stands out like a beacon in my mind. It hit home. This verse is new to me so thank you! I never would have put those words together either. Beautiful, truth filled words, friend. Thank you for continuing to seek him and remind us of the truth. xoxo
January 16, 2015 at 7:41 pm
Yes, a DOER! Me too, Abby…;) I had never looked at this verse this way, either…I love it when He shows me something new like this. 🙂 I’m so glad it spoke to you, as well. Thank you for being here and for your support ALWAYS. xo
January 16, 2015 at 8:25 pm
Oh, I’m not a waiter either. That’s why I loved this post myself. Because I can relate. (One of my problems is I have way too many ideas to implement, so I have to be so careful not to get out “ahead” of God. I can end up running around like a chicken with its head cut off, too many directions.) Yes, Meredith, thanks for bringing this message to us.
January 16, 2015 at 4:34 pm
Oh my goodness, Meredith. I love that you wrote about this! Last year, I read Romans 5:3 in The Message: “We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know our troubles can develop passionate patience in us.” Since that time, I’ve been fascinated with the concept of passionate patience because, as you mentioned, some words don’t seem to go together. The biggest change I’ve seen in my life as I grow in the ability to wait passionately, is the change in my heart — from an attitude of frustration to an attitude of expectation — learning to trust that if God has me waiting for a season, He has something wonderful around the bend. Thank you for sharing such beautiful truth today!
January 16, 2015 at 7:45 pm
I’m so glad you shared this, Tarissa! I love how The Message puts God’s word in other ways that make complete sense, but in a different light than I’ve thought about them before. Passionate patience seems like two words that would be pretty great to live by, don’t they? I love what you say, that you have gone from an attitude of frustration to an attitude of expectation…what a GREAT change in attitude to have. 😀 I could learn a lot from that. Thank you for visiting and commenting today…you have blessed me.
January 16, 2015 at 8:21 pm
Tarissa, that’s a great verse too. “Passionate patience” does seem to go along with “passionate waiting.” Oh, I want to learn that attitude of expectation instead of frustration! I love the Message too. Great rendition of Romans 5:3.
January 16, 2015 at 4:34 pm
Thanks so much for this post. I had just yesterday read something a close friend wrote on her blog about active waiting, so this fits so well with that. But I still had to do a double take when I read your quote from the Message because it almost looks like a mistake: we are so used to “wait patiently.” And of course THAT is necessary too, yet it does sound more passive. The idea of waiting passionately is something I want to ponder, because it is such a new and creative way to think about waiting.
January 16, 2015 at 7:48 pm
I had to re-read the verse several times, too, Jeannie…I kept saying “waiting patiently” in my head and then it hit home what it was really saying. Active waiting fits right in with that idea for sure. These are all good points to ponder for a while…and hopefully act on. 😉 Thank you for being here today!
January 16, 2015 at 9:10 pm
He’s taught me much on waiting patiently this past year. I was just talking to a church friend about how even in the waiting God is present and moving. There’s something comforting about soaking in that truth.
Always blessed by how you share your heart.
And hello Betsy! A beautiful combination of ladies!!
xoxo
January 16, 2015 at 10:22 pm
Yes, Beth, even in the waiting He is present and moving. That’s a beautiful truth. Thank you for sharing…and waiting with me. ❤ Love you!!
January 17, 2015 at 3:22 pm
Hi there Beth! Thanks for stopping by today.
January 16, 2015 at 10:08 pm
I love how God made each one of us unique, so that “passionate patience” might look different for each of us. Thanks for these posts, Betsy, way to go encouraging and building up each other!
January 16, 2015 at 10:23 pm
Yes, it really is beautiful how we can all show a different version of passionate patience, isn’t it, Joanna? Thank you for being here today. 😀
January 17, 2015 at 3:24 pm
Joanna, no one is receiving more encouragement from our guest posters than I am! They are each a blessing to me.
Pingback: Sometimes we have to wait as passionately as we pursue. » Meredith Bernard – Living in the Light through My Pen and My Lens
January 17, 2015 at 1:54 am
Hi Meredith! I love the idea of passionately waiting-sounds like something that is not possible to achieve. But God – through His Son will walk us down the path of our passions directly to Him when we follow Him with our whole heart. I love how you pointed out to “Embrace our place in the Son” to see where His light is leading us. Beautiful reflection! Blessings for a great weekend! Mary
January 17, 2015 at 4:12 pm
Thank you sweet, Mary. 🙂 It does sound impossible to achieve doesn’t it…BUT GOD. 😀 So glad He pointed this out to us all this week. Blessings on your weekend, as well. ❤
January 17, 2015 at 12:36 pm
Good Morning! This post resonated with me as I think of how many times my impatient 2 1/2 YO granddaughter (whom I watch FT while her parents work) asked for something & then said, “Right now!” to me this week 🙂 I love #1 – “Wait passionately”. Waiting is often equated with inactivity but you have set it in its proper context. As we wait for God’s leading & timing, our passion grows. He enlarges our dreams and our passion towards it so that when He opens the doors, we can move on through, ready & equipped. I am so grateful to have read this today! Have a wonderful weekend!
January 17, 2015 at 4:13 pm
I’m so grateful you read this and were encouraged, Joanne! And I know your granddaughter without even meeting her. 😉 Blessings on this journey as we learn to wait passionately together. xo
January 17, 2015 at 1:00 pm
“wait passionately” – too often we “wait impatiently” or “wait expectantly” or “wait in the dark”, but waiting passionately is waiting with our trust fully placed in God and excited about what He’s doing through our wait. As someone who’s living in the wait, I love this idea to wait passionately! Thanks for this today!
January 17, 2015 at 4:14 pm
I’m “living in the wait” right along with you Kathryn. And how often I’m the impatient, expectant and in the dark person waiting…I’m glad for the spur this week to wait in trust and hope…passionately. 😉 Glad we are together in this! Blessings on your weekend.
January 18, 2015 at 1:12 am
I’ve been learning a lot about waiting. But waiting with passion, not just patience, that’s something I need to focus on. My waiting season can be filled with tears and lack of passion. Thank you for sharing at The Weekend Brew.
January 18, 2015 at 1:54 am
That’s really great. I’m sort of in a time of waiting right now, but I remember being in a real time of waiting a while back. It was awful! But thankfully they don’t last forever.
January 19, 2015 at 7:14 pm
Oh, Meredith, the waiting! I am not too patient! But I find when I do wait on Him, there is joy in the waiting, and joy in the promised fulfilled! Beautiful post!