God never ceases to amaze me at the things He uses to teach me.
Have you ever received a package, knowing it was that thing you ordered online a week ago? Do you remember the anticipation of the long wait and the excitement of finally opening that package?
I've recently been looking through jewelry and have come to be obsessed with rings. I've never been a ring person, but, hey, college is the time to try something new, right? I measured my finger and ordered the ring--rose gold with a cross engraved on it--through an online store. Not only was it a beautiful ring, but it also had a powerful meaning: the cross engraved on it reminds me that I am a child of God and that He is my number one priority. After one whole week of waiting, and constantly checking the shipment tracker, the package arrived. I got back to my dorm, eagerly cut open the bubble wrap bag, and took out the ring. It was beautiful! Waiting to put it on my finger, I first read the verse that came with it: "He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed." 1 Peter 2:24. Finally, I slipped on the ring, and it did just that: it slipped! It was much too big--I must've measured it wrong (after all, it was my first time buying a ring).
I wanted the ring snug on my ring finger, instead, it was loose. It was more than loose, it would fall off my finger if I just turned my fingers down. It did, however, perfectly fit on my pointing finger. I thought to myself, "Well, it technically does fit. I don't need to exchange the ring." But the whole purpose of buying this ring was so that it could fit on my ring finger, not just because that's where rings should be worn, but also its symbol of God uniting in marriage with His people. The only factor which made me hesitate to request an exchange was the wait. I didn't want to wait another two weeks to send the wrong-sized ring back and receive the correct size. And yet, I had to wait if I wanted what I originally bought the ring for.
Through this whole ordeal, God reminded me of the process of waiting. The Bible talks extensively about waiting and having patience (Psalm 27:14, Romans 8:25, Romans 12:12), in fact, the greatest people in the Bible had to wait through long periods of challenges and processes before they received God's promise. In this case, God reminded me of His own work in my life--that it takes time! I was ready to be content with this ring which technically fit--on the wrong finger--just because I didn't want to wait. I was ready to be content with what was not intended for me.
God showed me that when I choose to give up and stop waiting patiently for His timing, I'm settling for something less than the best. God has a future that's the perfect fit for me, and yet, if I don't wait and trust Him, I'm staying on a path that was not meant for me.
I saw my own mistake of measuring my finger incorrectly as my sins. When I rely on my own strength and will, I will get a result that's less than perfect. But when I wait and let God do the work, redemption and perfection awaits. My sins have been covered by His blood and the things satan uses against me will no longer have a hold on me, because God is good and He is working. Only He can change me, only He can heal me, and only He can bring about goodness and perfection. Those are His promises, and I will see those promises fulfilled if I just wait and trust in Him.
It's funny how He showed me all this through the waiting process of buying a ring. But I always say...
God works in weird, crazy ways.
But I wouldn't have it any other way.
*I did end up returning it and receiving a smaller size.*
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