Graduations! (Psalm 27)

Psalm 27:14—“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and take heart, and wait for the Lord.”

                 I don’t know about you guys, but we had a TON of graduations this year. From family to long-term friends to recent acquaintances, our mailbox was full of graduation invitations this year. I venture to say that you are probably the same. Whether it’s your own child, nieces, nephews, or friends, you probably know someone who has either just graduated, or will very soon.

                While sitting through an actual graduation ceremony isn’t always the most fun (unless maybe it’s a preschool graduation with an exceptionally entertaining little one), we attend them anyway as a way of showing support to those who have realized this important accomplishment. Graduating, whether it be with a Bachelor’s Degree, a Master’s Degree, or even with a High School Diploma, takes work and takes patience.

              If you can remember back to your high school or college days, you can probably also recall the case of senioritis that you may have caught as you were preparing to graduate. I have distinct memories of the second day of second semester of my senior year, when I decided to transfer out of the Calculus class (that was going to give me an extra credit), and instead picked up a Drama class, as I realized the difference in the amount of work and brain-power that would be required of me. I was ready to be done with high school—I was ready to move-on, and I was tired of working and waiting.

                And, just as the graduates in our lives are most certainly tired of waiting for their degrees, we too, often tire of waiting. Maybe you are waiting for a promotion, or to get a little more money saved, or to finish up a home project that seems like it’s taking forever. Or, maybe you're waiting for something even more serious –like the healing of a disease, the mending of a relationship, or just the feeling that you FINALLY have your life together.

                In Psalm 27, David was also waiting. He had been fleeing from King Saul, and was ready to take the throne that God had promised him so many years back. He had dreams and goals that he was ready to accomplish, yet he couldn’t until he (or God) dealt with this immediate problem. As he was writing this song of praise, David reminded himself to “wait for the Lord.”  In fact, he emphasized this reminder by stating these words twice in the same sentence-- he really wanted this encouragement to sink in!

                From time to time (or….really, like every day) I also need to be reminded to wait on the Lord. Anyone who knows me well knows how much I enjoy checking things off of my to-do list, and how important efficiency and accomplishment is to me. However, sometimes God calls us to wait. Maybe it’s not yet time for that new position, that new purchase, or even as it hard as it is, maybe that person still needs a little time to heal before that relationship can be restored. Waiting is hard, as evidenced by the fact that David reminds us to “be strong and take heart”—he knew that waiting required a fortification of the spirit.

                In verse 10 of this same Psalm, David reminds us that God is always with us, even in these times of difficulty. He tells us that even when our mother and father may forsake us, God is always there. The only way that we can get this fortification that we need in order to get through these trying times is by leaning in to God. We may be frustrated that we aren’t getting what we want, or even what we feel we need, and we may even direct some of that frustration toward God. However, as we wait for His perfect plan, may we remember that He is always with us, even now. Even if the healing is not immediate, the Healer is waiting with open arms.