Waiting on the Lord

Next month will be a year since the ground was broken in our backyard for what was supposed to be an amazing pool, waterfall, outdoor pavilion and much more. We should have known that things were not looking good when we gave our contractor his first draw. The very next day he showed up in a new truck. For five months following the breaking of the earth we endured what has to be the worst "bad contractor" story to date. Not only did he leave us with a half finished waterfall, a huge gunite hole in the ground and a catastrophic mud swamp in our backyard; he took our savings and now to complete what he started we have to save almost as much as he originally quoted. So now rather than gazing through our back windows at our would be tranquil water paradise, I see something I wish we never started, I see a mess that has no end in sight, but most importantly I see an opportunity for spiritual growth. There are lessons to be learned. The first being how to wait on the Lord with thanksgiving in our hearts. Yes...often our gratitude is freely given when things are good, but how about when things are not going as planned? Can you look at the mess in your life and give thanks to the Father knowing that it is all part of His good and perfect will? He will fix what is wrong in all our lives (usually, a mess we brought on ourselves) if we sit back and thankfully wait for His timing, not ours. Another lesson that is learned while waiting is acceptance of the now; finding peace in chaos. I'm a perfectionist, I like order, I like things done in a timely fashion (my time), and I get frazzled when something is out of place. I had to learn either to accept the backyard where it is, or I'd have to move...probably to a different state to escape my annoyance. The Ms. Orderly in me was going bananas. I soon came to the conclusion that Spiritual growth has no tolerance for the perfectionist. You see, if "WE" make things perfect in our lives, then why do we need Jesus? I'm certain the biggest lesson I am learning is how to pray for my enemy. If you notice my phrasing, you see that I'm still learning this one. I harbor no real bitterness, but it's not because I'm practicing prayer over him. In truth, it's because I have fled the thought of this man. When Satan whispers my rights to be indignant, I toss the contractor from my mind with a hurricane velocity. Don't think about him is the answer to my peace. But is that what God tells me to do? No. He commands I pray for this man. Perhaps if I finally start praying for him rather than dismiss his existence, then God will take His foot off the brakes and open doors to bring this all to finish. Who knows, save Him? We all are going through something. It matters not the size of the tribulation. What matters is what we are willing to learn from it. Are we willing to see our wrong when we are wronged? Are we thankful not only for the good but the bad? Can we let go of our will and rest in His? And most importantly, do we wait in prayer?