waiting here for you.

Chris Tomlin was in town last week and ever since, I've been trying to gather my thoughts to share with you what a blessing it was.   I could write a whole journal full of what I took in from that night of worship and teaching.  So I'll do my best to be focused.  If you want to hear more, buy me coffee and we'll chat.
I have to be honest, some of the things that were said that night were unreal and in the midst of thousands, the words spoke directly to my heart.  I might've laughed out loud when Chris Tomlin decided to stop in the middle of a set and speak about what it means to wait on the Lord.  Seriously??  What is this that keeps following me?!  I turn to my friend, Alyssa, and smile.  She says to me, "you're going to blog about this, aren't you?"  And so here we are.

Do you ever want to give up?  Or maybe you wouldn't admit to it with your mouth, but your life would prove that you already have.  I'm not a quitter.  I never have been, but it seems lately, that I've begun settling for the "good enoughs" of life.
        "Well..I don't like this about me, but no matter how I try it's not going away, so I'll just deal with it.  It's who I am."  "This situation isn't ideal, but I need to just suck it up and push through."  "I don't have balance in my life, but maybe this was what God had in mind for my story."

Oh friends, the things we settle for.  I quit waiting.  I said I was waiting, but really not believing that the promise of life to the full would continue to unfold.  Chris talked about coming to the throne of God with expectation for His promises to be fulfilled.  Expecting that He's going to move.  Expecting that He's going to keep bringing freedom, keep bringing life, keep bringing forth His glory in any and all situations.

Then Christy Nockels sang this song, Waiting Here for You:
If faith can move the mountains, let the mountains move.
We come with expectations, waiting here for You.
Waiting here for You.

You're the Lord of all creation and still You know my heart.
The author of salvation, You've loved us from the start.

Waiting here for You, with our hands lifted high in praise.
And it's You we adore, singing alleluia.

You are everything You've promised.
Your faithfulness is true.
And we're desperate for Your presence.
All we need is You.

(You may or may not be able to find a recording of this on youtube because of copyright things.)


As she sang, I closed my eyes realizing how easily I'd given up hope and how small I'd made the God of the universe.  I quit expecting.  Settling for good enough.  Accepting brokenness as "as whole as it's going to get."  Telling myself that it wasn't possible for God to move in these areas of my life.  I am so sorry, Lord.  How dare I try to limit what You have in store for me.  How dare I quit expecting for You to be glorified in my life.

Louie Giglio took some time to teach in between the two worship sets.  In one part, he talked about raising hands.  Specifically, he mentioned that one of the ways that we raise hands in worship is in desperate hope for God to come through.  Desperate hope.  Hope isn't something we're wishing for...maybe it'll come, maybe it won't.  No.  Hope is something we're certain of.  God is our deliverer.  He has and will continue to deliver in some way, shape, or form.  Let's not misunderstand and think He won't.  He's given us Christ.  Our all.  As Matthew 7 says, "how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"  Be expectant.  Wait on the Lord.  Don't just say you are--let our lives be lives where we expect God to move and be glorified.  Being joyful in the hope we have and being lost in praising Him.

In our waiting, in our deliverance, in our wholeness, be glorified, Lord.