By Katy Mariotti

Good Things Await!

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!”
Psalm 27:14 English Standard Version

I think it’s safe to say that probably no one likes waiting. I think of myself as a patient person, but I realized recently that when I have to wait for something, I feel like I should always be doing something. I either want to distract myself by looking at my phone, or reading a book, or I want to do something to move things along faster.

My daughter received a pumpkin plant in a plastic cup last spring. At the right time we replanted it outside and it has been growing ever since. Even though it is my daughter’s plant, I am the one who has taken responsibility for it, making sure to water it regularly. When it started to get flowers I got excited, knowing that the pumpkins come from the flowers. I watched and watched and checked every day, but the flowers were all male flowers (the pumpkins come from female flowers). I started to worry. My daughter informed me that the pumpkins that they have growing at school already have pumpkins turning orange on them. I looked up information and found something that said male pumpkin flowers come out 1-2 weeks before female flowers, but it had already been over a month. I looked up to see if there was anything I could do to encourage female flowers.

Finally, just this past week, I spotted one little tiny green pumpkin. I was so excited for my daughter to come home from school so I could show her.

Waiting is hard, but God has lessons to teach us in the waiting. I learned more about pumpkin plants in waiting. I learned that I really enjoy growing them and I may do it again next year. I learned that worry, even though it makes you FEEL like you’re doing something, isn’t doing something. And I learned that sometimes when you have to wait for something, it makes you appreciate it more when you get it.

There are several Bible verses that talk about waiting, and they encourage us to do it patiently. Whether we’re waiting on small things like pumpkins, or big things like a new job, good health, a new baby, to meet the right person, or anything else, God promises good things to us, most importantly His salvation through Jesus Christ. I pray that we have patience and joy in the waiting!

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado