What do you do while you are in between the "Promise" and the "Payoff?"

I recently heard one of the greatest sermons by Steven Furtrick. It was on, "From the Promise to the Payoff."
As I reminisce about the sermon, I began to think.. Most of life, is living in between the "Promise" to the "Payoff." I have often thought... Why doesn't the Promise or the Payoff last as long as the "Process" in between them both? Because the "process" part is the part that is the whole preparation part! It prepares you to believe and receive the promise and then it prepares you to be able to enjoy and handle the payoff.
Wow! Sometimes I wish I could do the whole "click" thing and fast forward the process.... But we can't because that's what is making us who Christ "purposed" us to be all along.

Hebrews 10:36 "You have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the prize."

Basically, what we must do during the process, is ENDURE! Yuck!!!! Endurance takes energy and during the lengthy process, most of the time, that is what we feel depleted of. Ever been in a fight? I know you might find this hard to believe... You know because I am so meek and mild (LOL) You probably wouldn't think I have ever been a part of such an un-lady-like thing, but I have! I can remember one fight in'particular... I was around 12 and my cousin who is a month younger than me came for a visit during the summer. Like any child of the 80's we wanted to go to an arcade to play Mrs. Pacman! My mother gave us what seemed like an insurmountable bag of quarters and I was ready to get my game on.... but there was a catch.... I had to let my younger brother go with us! Well, needless to say, I complied and off we went on our adventure to the Winn Dixie down the road for what I thought would be a day of arcade fun... (WRONG!)
No one was playing the games, no waiting, but yet we still followed the well known rules of arcade etiquette and lined about 10 quarters on the face of the arcade game. (for all you non arcade playing kids, that let anyone who happened to come in to play the game next to know how many games you were planning on playing.) While we were all for once in our lives happy, getting along, and actually encouraging each other that's when it all went down! In the corner of my eyes I see the meanest and most revered bully at our school walking through the sliding door of the Winn Dixie! Pam.... Even the boys didn't mess with her! She had failed the 6th grade 3 times and appeared to be a modern day Philistines among the rest of the entire Jr. High school. Behind her back and never to her face she was revered as "Bird-Legs." She had gotten wind one time that someone referred to her as that and to this day, I don't know what happened to him, but he was never seen nor heard of after! Since my cousin was from 1 hour away she was not on the up and up about Pam and I couldn't very well inform her between the 1.5 seconds it took for her to walk through the door and be behind us! I gulped and I knew somehow, this was not good and I began to tremble inside about the possibilities that could potentially take place. Pam reached her long gangly hand over us and began grabbing the quarters and telling us to "Beat it!" My cousin was on a level of Mrs. Pacman that she had never been on and was assured that she could break history that day at the Winn Dixie and possibly go to heights no man had ever gone to and was ticked at what was taking place. My cousin screamed at her that she better put the quarters back and leave us alone or else...... That's all she wrote! Without warning or any words Pam spun her around and slapped her face so hard I was assured she probably would have brain damage from this point on in her life. I took off and began to encourage my cousin to do the same and when I looked back I realized that she had not complied. My brother was loving it and believed that He was seeing the greatest ROCKY movie unfold before his very eyes and began to encourage my cousin to "Not take that and Give her what she deserved!" I was horrified! All for his entertainment, my cousin would die in the local Winn Dixie! The manger come over and escorted all of them out and I was out of harms way half way to the house watching the rest unfold! My cousin and Pam began to THROW DOWN! I have never seen 2 girls fight with the intensity these 2 were going at it! After what appeared to be a lifetime, my brother realized that my cousin Wendy would not ENDURE the beating much longer so he began to run and yell as loud as he could... "BIRD LEGS.....BIRD LEGS!" At that point I had thought that my brother had lost his mind and Pam let up on the beating to my cousin and took off after my brother! It only took her a mere 10 seconds to catch him and she backed him up to a chain link fence and promised him He would surely die there! What Pam least expected happened! As she rared back to punch his head off of his shoulders, my brother never flinched or made a move.... He simply would ENDURE and what appeared to be, embrace the beating of a lifetime.... Then a miracle from God happened! As Pam went to beat his brains in, he ducked and her wrist caught the top of the 2 prongs on the chain link fence and she opened up a gash in her arm from the wrist to the elbow! Blood was spewing everywhere and my brother began to jump and scream with excitement! All I remember is someone picked Pam up in a car to take her to the emergency room and I never saw her again! My brother slayed the Giant!

I say all that to remind myself and others that ENDURING is never easy, but the payoff is great! Just remember this..... The size of the prize determines the severity of the fight! Keep fighting and enduring..... The prize is around the corner!

Waiting....is not so much a position as it is a focus

Today my devotion was on waiting.... I never have been good at that. I am a make it happen kinda girl. If you see an opportunity, take it. If you wait to long, you might risk loosing it. Even as a child waiting was not my forte'. My Aunt and Uncle took me to a wishing well... You know...throw a coin in, make a wish, and WAIT for it to happen. At 3 years old, after the process was explained, I was handed a quater and did as I was told. I did it all perfectly right down to the pause of the wish... When asked what I wished for and I told them.... "I wish I had my quarter back!" I would have rather had the tangible in my hand, then WAIT for my wish to come true...

As an adult, I still find it difficult to "WAIT!" Have you ever been in a situation where you have no other choice but to wait? That is where I am in my life right now. I am in a "waiting" stage and it has not been fun nor pretty! When asked "What are you going to do about this or that?" I simply reply... "I am in a holding pattern, waiting on the Lord." The looks, reactions, and responses have been what has astonished me. (even from my fellow brothers and sisters in the faith) It goes against what our society believes and is inidated with... We are a microwave/fastfood generation. We want it QUICK and we want it NOW! But one thing I am learning in this journey of my faith; not everything in life is meant to be quick. Waiting, ecspecially for people who are geared like me, is what gives us the added power and energy to go on and not give in or give up. Through the journey I have been on for the past several months, I have been in a place that I have never been before. I am uterly exausted and depleated of energy. Just waiting..... But that is the best place for me right now, because I know the journey ahead is going to need more energy, more thought, more vision, and simply more of ME than ever before and WAITING is what is going to give me what I need to get to it and through it.

Isaiah 40:31 tells us "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength."

Before I go on a road trip I always take my car in to be fine tuned... Have them check the oil, check the tires, check my wipers, fill up with gas and get prepared for the journey I am about to take.
In this journey called life, we all need to be fine tuned and prepared for the journey ahead. If you are tired, scared, lonely, fearful, and just don't know what to do, You know what you need more than anything is strength. The Bible tells us that when we wait, our strength is being renewed. So take a breather, enjoy the process, and get ready for the journey ahead; your mearly getting a tune up for what you need for now and for the journey ahead.