Faith: Hoping & Longing
If it is worth waiting for, it is also worth the challenges that may come with it.
james 1:2-4 voice
“Don’t run from tests and hardships, brothers and sisters. As difficult as they are, you will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them, your faith will blossom under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure. And true patience brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross the finish line—mature, complete, and wanting nothing.”
This by far has been a year of both, seen and unseen! Some things we anticipated and others things that we didn’t…
It was love at first sight for Jacob. Rachel was stunning and she was no doubt, the woman he wanted to spend forever with. Working for Rachel’s father, Laban for seven years so that he could spend seventy years with her seemed like a small price to pay. Seven years arrived and Jacob finally married his dream girl…Leah. Oops, Laban forgot to mention that the oldest daughter (Leah) had to married off before the youngest daughter (Rachel). Upset but undaunted, Jacob worked yet another seven years for Rachel. Yet, there would still be trouble in paradise for these two lovebirds. Rachel struggled with infertility while her sister, Leah had baby after baby. Eventually, Rachel did get pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy named, Joseph. However, she would die in childbirth and Joseph too, would have an challenging life.
Jacob could have never (and would not have wanted to!) imagined that his life would go the way it did. Was there beauty, joy and happy times in Jacob’s life? Yes, undoubtedly. Were there also sadness, grief and difficulties in Jacob’s life? Yes, unfortunately. Did he ever regret loving Rachel and everything that he went through to be with her? No, probably not. The 14 years of labor, being tricked into marrying Leah and the fertility problems were all worth it because he loved Rachel.
Although Jacob and Rachel’s story is one of love, patience and sacrifice, it is also so much more. We all have “Rachels” in our life, they could be a house, job, car, child, spouse etc., basically anything that is a desire of our hearts and something or someone that we are willing to wait for and work for. Will we have to wait and work 7 years? Maybe. Will we experience challenges? Likely.
Everything that Jacob went through prepared him to be a better husband and father as he was no stranger to adversity. Sometimes the actual wait itself prepares us for the very things we desire <3.
And that wraps up the Faith: Hoping & Longing Series…thank you coming along! What a journey it has been over these past 8 weeks and I am excited for the next one, starting next Thursday☺️…
Until Weekend Wellness,
