Sit & Wait

Family Prayer Card

The room was quiet. Too quiet. We were waiting. Just waiting. We knew that we could be waiting for forever, but we hoped only for a little while longer. My dad and I sat there waiting for my mom to come home.

My parents knew the dangers of the country that God called them to. They were warned many times that it was too dangerous to take an 8-year-old blonde hair blue eyed little girl to a kidnapping, drug running country. But that was the door God opened for my dad to teach at an international school for missionary kids. My mom was fluent in Spanish so many knew we would be able to survive quite well enough. When we left we were full of enthusiasm rather than fear. My mom and dad’s dream of teaching overseas finally came true. I was just thrilled to step on a plane. I had no idea what ups and downs we would go on the next 5 years as we lived there.

Now my dad and I sit wondering if my mom and his wife will be coming home. We had both been at our musical practice for our school that afternoon. We knew my mom had a dentist appointment around the same time. As we were finishing up the practice, we heard that there was a car bomb in a certain neighborhood. Sadly, car bombs had become quite regular in our city. Enough that every time someone drove into a mall parking lot there were bomb checks under each car. The reality of the stressful environment we lived it seemed normal to us. Well as normal as it can be. Regularly we heard of people getting kidnapped, but most of those were so hush hush we never knew if what was rumored was true. Even so any kidnappings that would happen couldn’t be publicized because that would only raise the price of the return. News couldn’t share their story unless they escape or freed. But this very day this car bomb was close by to where were at. Then soon my dad realized that the location of the bomb was exactly where my mom was supposed to be at the dentist. The bus ride back home was quiet. As my dad and I sat in silence in the living room of a missionary’s house. I remember looking at the door and phone in hopes of a phone call from my mom. We didn’t have cell phones back then. We had no real way of communicating while we were all out. All we could do is wait. Sit and wait.

How many times in our lives do we sit and wait? I feel like we rush everywhere and then impatiently sit and wait for our turn. But if something doesn’t happen at the right time, we get anxious and frustrated. We trigger ourselves in more negative stress than that is needed. What if we are meant to sit a while and wait.

Wait on the voice of God

Wait on the next big family decision

Wait on the unanswered prayer

Wait on healing

Wait on salvation of a family member

Wait. Wait. Wait.

Now, not everything in life is all about waiting, but in this certain occasion with my dad and I, we could only wait. We couldn’t run to the police to find answers yet. We couldn’t run out and go look for her. We couldn’t even call her. We truly had to wait. Thankfully after some hours she did walk through that door. She is a miracle walking. And after the hugs and kisses she did share with us the miracle of God’s protection. She told us how the taxi driver wanted to go a different way to the dentist which normally means more money we pay for the cab fare. My mom wasn’t thrilled about going the longer way, but sometimes you don’t have any options when you are already in the taxi. As they drew close to the location of the dentist my mom was first struck by the sound and then saw the mushroom cloud parallel to her. God had truly guided that taxi driver to go a different way to protect my mom. That should have been her where the bomb was. I should have lost my mom at age 10, but by the grace of God and his protecting angels I didn’t. Sitting there in the unknown was worth the wait. God knew where he took us wasn’t going to be easy. He knew the dangers we would face, but he also surrounded us with angels to protect us. Still today, I recount this story to my daughter and anyone that will hear it. When I grapple with fear, I recount that story as a quick reminder that God’s protection is there.  Then praying Psalm 91:9-11 ESV “Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge—no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.”