"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." Proverbs 13:12 NIV
Nearing the end of a long training run in preparation for her first 100 mile race, my friend, Jill, said she felt some discomfort and then woke up the next morning not even able to get out of bed. When the pain didn't go away after a few days of rest, Jill knew there was something wrong--something a test later confirmed. "MRI shows bone marrow edema on my hip bone caused by itty bitty fractures. 2-3 weeks with crutches and 4-6 no running," she wrote, adding, "could be a lot worse." And you know what? Jill's right. It could always be a lot worse. As it stands, she was allowed to defer her entry to the 100-mile fall race and has hope that she will soon be healed.
And you know, not getting what we want, especially something we have worked very hard for or have prayed for over a long period of time, can be absolutely heartbreaking--so heartbreaking, in fact, that the psalmist says the disappointment literally "makes the heart sick." But it's at these times that you and I would do well to remember that God didn't say "no." He simply said, "not today." Which means there's always hope and a reason to wait patiently, knowing that "a longing fulfilled" will restore and refresh our hearts again.
So if "hope deferred" has you feeling discouraged, disillusioned or even depressed today, won't you choose to smile and trust God whose timing is always perfect? I sure hope so my friend because our unfulfilled desires and periods of waiting can not only lead us to the richest of encounters with our Savior but strengthen our character in ways that a period of ease never could.
Heavenly Father, thank You for always working things out for our good. Help us to trust You when we don't understand You and to be patient when it seems like our situation will never change. Use these periods Lord to draw us closer to You and to make us more like You. It's in your precious Name we pray Jesus. Amen.
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