It’s Not Thursday Yet

“How’s it going, Sugar?” she asked. What is it about a southern accent that makes everything sound better? It was Tuesday night, the end of day two of a four-day marriage intensive in which I was serving as a therapist for five couples in our care. She had spotted me in the corner in deep thought and in deeper prayer.

This woman and her husband serve as a host couple for most of the marriage intensives in which I am a part of. She has the gift of hospitality and she does not waste an ounce of it. She anticipates needs before there is a request. She listens to God and has been known to wake up in the middle of the night and stay awake to pray for someone without knowing why, but simply because God asked her to. Her and her husband’s love and care is an essential part of the experience and certainly facilitates the work that we do during those four days.

“Fine” I said, offering a feeble smile.

“ ‘Fine’ stands for ‘feelings inside not expressed,’ “ she said matter-of-factly as she sat down and waited patiently for my real answer.

Busted…

“I’m just thinking about the next two days and praying for breakthrough…” I said, sounding like a marathoner at the 13-mile mark.

She nodded and paused before her eyes met mine. “It’s not Thursday, yet” she said, connecting but not agreeing with my worry. She looked like a woman who has seen miracles.

I knew what she was talking about. I see miracles every time I come. What is it about fear that makes us forget God’s faithfulness?

Day two of an intensive is akin to cleaning out a storage closet. It can look messy and the end result is difficult to picture. There are feelings piled high that have been stuffed in the back corner for far too long. There are wounds you didn’t know you had, exposed for the first time. There are truths that need to be dusted off and put in their proper place. The work is not done and the story is not over. This is what progress looks like on day two.

There are seasons in life when the breakthrough can be difficult to see. There are times when the future feels especially unpredictable or painfully uncertain – times that leave us wondering if hope is a good idea. There are moments in life when we cannot see enough of the picture to make sense of it or even begin to answer the question, “why?”

But this is what I know: I may not be able to see or understand everything in my current position, but God has shown me Himself. His character has been revealed to me and His presence has not been hidden from me. In the middle of an incomplete picture, I have a God who is working to bring everything to completion, working all things for our good and the good of His kingdom, and for His glory. 

Sometimes the miracle is movement we absolutely cannot see from where we sit. Often, the answer to a prayer looks like an answer we didn’t know to pray for. But every moment provides an opportunity to take God at His word, believing that He is who He says He is and He can do what He says He can do. And this is just as true on Tuesday as it will be on Thursday.

I don’t pretend to know what it’s like to sit in your seat. I don’t know what you can see or can’t see – the things you worry are around the corner and the things you worry you might not ever come. But the next time you find yourself discouraged by your view, remember that it’s not Thursday yet. Our job is to be faithful. Only God can produce the fruit. Jesus is exactly who He says He is and He can do what He says He can do. His promises are just as sure today as they will be someday.