Stay in God's Grip!
  • Home
  • Todd's Blog
  • Remember Me When
  • Contact

 While in God's Grip!

Waiting...

1/26/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
"But now, Lord, what do I look for?  My hope is in you." 
​~ Psalm 39: 7
This week I sat with a woman who shared that she felt like her journey in hospice has become "stagnant."  Laying in bed, waiting on her health to decline and death to overcome her body.  I must admit, these are difficult conversations.  The initial news that they are going to die, and the acceptance that we are mortal, has become a reality.

Waiting patiently in expectation does not necessarily become easier as we become older.  

I will often talk about the "new normal," that the person is now experiencing as they await their death.  One person told me a few months ago that she was "learning patience," while "learning to live within God's timing."

Often my conversation with folks at this point will be about the loss of personal control.  They are no longer able to drive, do the laundry, go to the mail box, or even dress themselves.  The term "one day at a time," takes on new meaning.  There is no longer the expectation of something new is about to happen.  I often hear people telling me that they are "bored."

The challenge of aging is waiting with an ever-greater patience and an ever-stronger expectation.  It is living with an eager hope, even when we feel that our life has become stagnate.  Stagnation, or the feeling of not moving forward with our lives, can happen at any moment.  The challenge is to remain faithful that God is still working in our lives, even when we experience silence.

I am reminded that the Latin verb patior means "to suffer"  We get our word patience from this word.  Waiting patiently, as some might think, means suffering through the moment.  

The feeling of being stagnate should actually be seen as active waiting in which we live in the present moment.  Waiting patiently means paying attention to what is happening right before us, without passivity, knowing that God is waiting with us.

Stay in God's grip!

G. Todd Williams (c) 2019
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Rev. G. Todd Williams lives in the Houston metro area and is a Hospice Chaplain at Essential Hospice, Webster, Texas, and is an ordained Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) pastor.

    He serves as the Stated Supply to Westminster Presbyterian Church, Galveston, Texas.

    His new book, "Remember Me When..." is available through Chalice Press.

    Archives

    August 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017

    RSS Feed

  • Home
  • Todd's Blog
  • Remember Me When
  • Contact