The Importance of Waiting

“Let patience have her perfect work.” James 1:4

Have you been asking God, “Why do I have to wait so long?” If so, here are four important things you need to know: (1) Waiting trains you. Time spent waiting can be time spent learning. And if you’re learning, you’re not losing. God will train you for battle because He’s a good general. “Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle” (Ps 144:1 NIV). (2) Waiting corrects you. The Psalmist wrote: “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word” (Ps 119:67 NKJV). Pain can be profitable. Adversity can lead to spiritual advancement if you’re willing to glean from it. Pain forces you to look to God for answers, to lean on Him instead of others, to learn where you went astray, to hunger for His presence and His healing touch, to listen for His instructions and be sensitive to the changes He wants to bring about in your life. Yes, you can turn your pain into progress. (3) Waiting reveals those around you. Motives are not easily discerned. Trust God, but test people. That’s scriptural. “The Lord your God led you …forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart” (Dt 8:2 NIV). People can keep their intentions and motives covered for a long time, but waiting generally forces the truth to the surface. (4) Waiting gives God time to solve the problem. He’s a miracle-working God, so don’t get ahead of Him and rob Him of the opportunity to demonstrate His power in your life.

 -As i was looking for a perfect devotional online, I passed by to this from Word for you today. And it made me think how long has it been since I received GOD's Word and confirmation that I am going to do missions and will soon undergo a missionary training. And the waiting period has given me different kinds of experiences, let me stress that as overwhelming experiences. These waiting season of my life has been both ups and downs, specially in my spiritual life. But GOD continues to lift me up whenever I fall down. HE continues to remind me that He will never leave me nor forsake me ( Hebrews 13:5). That whatever happens, nothing can ever separate me from HIS love (Romans 8:38).

This waiting season strengthened me through trials. Corrected a lot of weaknesses in my life and still correcting me. Shown me good friends who are with me, inspired me to go on and fight for what GOD has planned for me, shared their wisdom, and stayed with me and understand me through the worst moments. And appreciated my family more, their support and wisdom has been a big help to me. And though sometimes I would ask HIM when and why does it taking so long, He would again remind me that He has determined the exact time and place I should live my life ( Acts 17:26).

Crushed and broken for a purpose.

Are you going through hard times lately? Maybe recently you've been having a hard time with your studies, jobs, co-worker, classmates or a family member or you've been dealing with a death of someone so close to you? or maybe you think that there's nothing good in life that can happen to you.

Whatever you're dealing right now, I want you to know that you're not alone. All of us or most of us have been dealing with problems, big or small but there is always something good that comes out from every tough spot that we're in right now.

One example is JESUS CHRIST, HE experienced hard times too.. on the night before HE was crucified. While in the Garden of Gethsemane,HE asked the FATHER if what HE is about to go could be taken away from HIM, but HE had to decide to go through it and obey HIS FATHER's will. (Matt. 26:36-42)

And we know that in all things,

GOD works together for the good 

of those who love HIM 

who have been called 

according to HIS purpose.

Rom. 8:28

This is usually one of the key scriptures for Christians when we go through hard and disappointing times. For the past 5 months I have been clinging to this word as HIS promise not just to me but also to my family since my little brother went back to Heaven.Though things does not happen in our life the way we want it to be, we can always believe in GOD that HE will work things out for good.

I remember how grapes becomes red wine, it needs to be crushed and pressed for it to become a delicious wine and the pearl, there should be dirt so pearls will be formed. 

For the past months I've been struggling with longingness. Missing my little brother so much lately is very strong. But no matter how many times I cried,GOD tell me to cling to HIM and believe in HIM that there is always dancing after mourning and joy after sorrow. I believe he is safer with HIM up there now. :)

The Busiest Shift I had!

So far this month, I experienced the busiest shift I ever had for the past 3 years of working as a midwife at Mercy Maternity Center. Before coming on shift yesterday night, I was praying to GOD that HE will give me a slow shift because I was really so tired but I guess this is one of those days that GOD is testing my character. I came at the birthroom with 4 labors endorsed to us plus a postpartum. With only 3 people on  who are catching, me, Michaela and Jacquiline with Salome who is still a first year and still needs to assist more births before catching under a Supervisor's close supervision. But praise GOD that one of the girls, Lincey volunteered to work with us that night eventhough she was not on schedule plus with Hannah whose continuity (a special patient who you've known for a long time or  close to you, relative or referred to you by a friend which you wanted to deliver her baby) is in active labor.

L-R: Hannah, Me, Jacquie, Lincey, Michae and Salome

The night was very busy. Jacquiline was first up and her patient delivered right after endorsements. After an hour Hannah's cont started to push and delivered within a couple of minutes followed by  Michaela's. My labor started to get active too, as she's G3 and could deliver fast. I immediately went to her cubicle and check on her, but she started pushing and had ruptured of bag of water. She started to push with a very fast progress, head was visible immediately. She was suppose to be Jacquie's second catch but since she's still with her patient who just delivered an hour ago, she needs to be with her  and so I took over so she could take care of her immediate postpartum for a little longer. But right after my patient delivered her baby, Michaela came in and told that she just checked in a very active labor which is premature according to her dates. I immediately instructed her to refer the patient even though she told that she felt hard fetal head when she did IE to the patient. Surprisingly while waiting for my patient's placenta to come out, Michae was shouting, calling my name at the postpartum area (we have to use the extra bed at the other side as our birthroom was full) saying that her patient started pushing and head was visible. So she delivered her second catch, and praising GOD that the baby looked term even though her record stated that she's premature. Then a labor came in and Lincey had her. Jacquie's second labor started to push as with Lincey's but after an hour pushing of Jacquie's patient was transported to SPMC* due to maternal exhaustion, long pushing and slow progress. And just as Jacquie came from transporting the patient, another labor came in who was also in active phase of her labor. That time Lincey's patient just delivered.

The baby I caught that night.

So, for the record we have 6 babies in 8 hours and the 2 remaining labors which was also taking cared by Jacquie and Michae had there babies right after our endorsement. So technically, we almost had 8 babies on that shift.

That night was so exhausting and yet so full of joy and FUN, not that I had the busiest and craziest shift so far in being a midwife and a supervisor but I was working with these wonderful ladies who really are an inspiration and a blessing to me. As well as being able to see new lives came to earth "officially". We are all beaming that night, laughing at each other even though we wanted to go to our beds already.

GOD has been teaching me lately that despite of all the bad things in life that has been happening around, I have to fix my eyes on and continue to trust HIM.


'My dear children! I feel as if I'm going through labour pains for you... and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives' (Galatians 4:19 NLT)