Waiting on the Lord
“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.” Psalm 130:5-6 NIV
I am not a patient person. I do not like to wait. When an idea grabs me, I want to take action immediately or blurt out the thought and words that have just come to mind. Sometimes, without placing a filter over them first.
So every day that I look out my front door and find this mama quail still sitting on her eggs, I want to say, “Could you just fly away for a few minutes so that I can take a picture of your eggs–before they hatch?”
Yes, I have seen the eggs. Just last week we counted all 13 of them with our friends as they were saying, “Good-bye” to us. But, I did not have my camera handy, and somehow my brain did not kick into gear that I should run and get my camera before Mama came back. I was just worried for Mama to come back.
Now, Mama is back and she is not budging. I should be happy. But I am impatient. I want to see those eggs now–for my own pleasure.
After a week of checking her nesting spot in our flower pot by the front door, it dawned on me. That quail is patient. She slides her eyes up to check me out and make sure I am not going to harm her babies. But her trust in the Lord’s timing keeps her from flinching or flying away. I watch. Try to snap photos from an awkward position. While I am impatient, she is content to sit there, day after day, waiting upon the Lord for those little ones to hatch.
I have a lot to learn from Mama quail. When I want to run ahead of the Lord with my plans, my ideas, my thoughts, I need to be patient and wait on His timing, His plans, His ways. As my soul and flesh wait for Him, more than the watchmen or the quails, I will experience His full redemption, unfailing love, and the fruit that comes from waiting on Him.
While waiting on Mama quail in the front yard, my oldest son snapped a photo of a quail family scurrying across our backyard into the rosemary bush to hide. Isn’t the Lord good to give us a taste of what we’ll soon see from patient Mama quail in the front yard?
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Just beautiful, Janis. Blessings to you this Sunday.
Oh how precious! And how encouraging these Bible verses are to me today. I, too, am waiting on several things and was so praying about it. And God used you to remind me to keep my eyes fixed on HIm and be patient. Thank you, Janis, for such a lovely Spiritual Sunday.
And P.S. to Craig – as a member of the aging baby boomers, flirting with my senior citizen status, I LOVED the Partridge Family. I even tried one out on my oldest grandteen but so far, not that interested. 🙂 Fun memories, though. 🙂
HI Janis…I loved this…your message and those pics…..I have a hard time waiting too….
Janis – I so enjoyed this post and pictures. I never get over watching winter turn to spring and the way all creation starts over. So much of God’s hand and heart in all of this. I’m reminded of what Jesus said:
‘I long to gather you like the mother hen gathers her chicks’
Safe in Him. Beautiful, moving post. Thank you.
Cx
Patience leading to impatience – Interesting concept!! The picture reminds me of the beginning of The Partridge Family – but you’re probably not old enough to remember. Thank you for this today – I hearted it lots – and God Bless and keep you and all of yours.
What a fun sneak preview!
Oh boy, I certainly am lacking in the patience department! I love how God will demonstrate the fruits that we are lacking through the most unexpected of places or things!
Claire~what a good comparison between God’s love to gather us to Him and the Mama quail sitting vigil on her eggs all gathered under her.
Mildred~a blessed Sunday to you, too.
Craig~oh, I’m old enough to know the Partridge Family show. Those quails now do remind one of partridges and how obedient those kids were!
Kaye~waiting is hard. I’m glad God encouraged you with this post.
sarah~thanks for stopping by. I think a lot of us have a hard time waiting. It’s our independent nature.
katie~I love when God uses unusual circumstances to teach us a lesson. I’ll be learning this one for a long while.
Shanda~missing those opportunities in the waiting is great insight.
Susan~looking forward to the family in our flower pot as well!
From My Heart to Yours,
Janis
Great post. I also am impatient, and therefore move away miss other opportunities in the wait.
Aw, that is so sweet, I love it, Janis. I can’t believe they are in your flower pot on the porch!
You are in very good company with working on the patience thing!
Wow, loving here this example you show with the mama quail. And how cool that you got to witness this little family!
I love these little quail. We had a quail family in our back yard the last two springs and I see them walking along our back fence. I haven’t seen any little ones yet. I think they my be in the yard behind us this time. I took pictures last year of the little family walking alongside the pool – much like your picture. Thank you for sharing your little quail family. We could learn so much from these birds. I think it is interesting that the mama and daddy bird both keep watch over the little ones.
Blessings,
Charlotte