40 Days

Ever read a bible verse that you’ve probably read/heard 100s of times and all of a sudden, it’s like you have a major light bulb moment?

I had one this morning. Tuesdays are my busiest days, I’ve really got to boogie to get myself ready, Jill to mom’s, and be at work on time! (What? You think I should get up earlier on Tuesdays? ) Plus today is Jilly Bean’s 5th birthday AND for some unknown reason I decided since I had exactly 30 minutes before I needed to leave the house it would be a good idea to do a 20 minute elliptical workout. Okay, the reason was that my trainer suggested I should but I did do it! And yes, that left me 10 minutes to shower and get out the door…which I barely did in 15 and with no makeup and wet hair.

Anyway, all of that means I read my devotions online today at church and, yes, we’re finally getting to the story. Let me set up the scripture, Elijah has just destroyed the prophets of Baal and Queen Jezebel has told him he’ll be sleeping with the fishes by this time tomorrow. So Elijah does what most of us do, he complained! He cried and whined and then he went to sleep! Then an angel wakes him up, feeds him, he goes back to sleep, eats more, and then travels for 40 days! Finally after he finishes his journey God speaks to him (and then sends him back the way he came which is a whole other story).

If you’d like to read the devotional and the actual scripture go here!

The ‘a-ha’ moment for me was I truly realized that Elijah prayed, slept, ate, slept, ate, then he traveled for 40 days and THEN, THEN God spoke to him. Over 40 days people! And I often get frustrated when God doesn’t give an answer or fix a problem in two minutes!

I know in this situation Elijah truly felt alone and his very life was being threatened, but yet God took time to send an angel to prepare food for him and he rested. Sometimes the mundane, routine things of life are the very things that keep us sane.

Currently I’m praying for direction as to how the Lord will use me when my last little chick leaves the safety of the nest for Kindergarten in the fall (the same day as my oldest chick heads to high school…sigh…). And I want an answer NOW.

But tonight I’ll do laundry, bake a birthday cake, clean the kitchen and I will do my best to patiently wait for God’s answers and His divine direction in my life.

Has it been 40 days, 40 weeks, or 40 months for you? Hang in there…the answer is coming. And for that I’m grateful today!

For more Gratituesdays head on over to Heavenly Homemakers!