I have to say this has been one of the worst winters for me personally. I had been hit with the flu twice, which really knocked me out for several weeks. On top of all of this, we had to put our beloved dog, Jo Jo, to sleep after 14 wonderful years with this amazing dog. But this pales in comparison to what others are going through.

While I was at the store paying for over-the-counter cough drops, the cashier starting talking about how she just got off the phone with a lady she worked with. The lady told her that her mother had just been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.

Then there was Flight 370 news. For seventeen days, the family members hung onto hopes that the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 with the 239 people on board would be found. Sadly, their hopes were dashed with the Prime Minister’s announcement. The Prime Minister told them that there was no hope of finding their loved ones alive, because the plane went down in the Indian Ocean. They had to carry some of the family members out on stretchers because of the devastating news.

Then the news of the mudslide in Washington State, where more than 176 are still missing and over 24 reported dead so far. Families of loved ones are joining in the search where homes are covered with mud. More than 100 properties were hit by the mudslide.

While going through trials many times it requires waiting on God to intervene, waiting on God for the answers. Many times it is hard to wait in an “I want it now” generation. We want everything done now! We hate to wait in lines, and wow, look out if our food we ordered at a restaurant took too long to get. We want all the luxuries now even though we may not be able to afford it. And we want God to answer all our prayers yesterday. However, often God does not answer our prayers at once. In the meantime, we have to wait.

G. Campbell Morgan said, “Waiting for God is not laziness. Waiting for God is not going to sleep. Waiting for God is not the abandonment of effort.Waiting for God means, first, activity under command; second, readiness for any new command that may come; third, the ability to do nothing until the command is given.”

Psalms 27:14 states, “Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the LORD.”

Lamentations 3:25-26 states, “The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietlywait for the salvation of the LORD.” While waiting, keep the faith! Never lose hope!

I know so many of you are going through such difficult times right now, so waiting can be most difficult. But no matter what you are going through, you must never give up! You must continue to wait and trust in God. He is working a masterpiece in you, like a Potter with his clay. That takes time! In the meantime, read of accounts of great men and women in the Bible who often times had to wait.