Wait for answers — Faith — Stylin' Granny Mama

When the idea of doing a deep dive into this concept of waiting tickled my brain, I wrote down a list of different words and phrases that revolve around the concept of waiting. So far I have looked at wait, abide, and pause. Today I want to look at a term used by the airlines.

When we are flying from one city to another, we often experience delays due to busyness, weather, or other problems, and often the pilot will be told to go into a holding pattern. When in a holding pattern, the pilot will fly an oval course over the airport as they are waiting their turn to land.

This phrase came to my mind as I grew up in a home where airplanes and flying were a pretty regular occurrence. My father was an airplane mechanic, and also had his pilot’s license for a number of years. He ran a small airport where he serviced single engine planes flown mostly for recreation. It was rare to have to enter a holding pattern at that small airport, but the idea still holds true, because great care is taken to not have an accident while flying in the sky.

I wondered, how do I bring the Bible into this idea of a holding pattern and the people of Israel came to my mind. These chosen ones of God were often in a holding pattern. They spent over 400 years in the arms of captivity to the Egyptians. I am sure during that time they were often heard murmuring, “When? When is our deliverer going to come?”

We know God brought Moses along as that deliverer, and we also know their time of enslavement to the Egyptians was drawing to a close. However, this wasn’t the only time they found themselves in a holding pattern. Some time after they left Egypt they found themselves at the mountain of God: Sinai. It was here Moses received the Ten Commandments, and all the many laws associated with living life.

“1 In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that very day they came into the wilderness of Sinai.
2 When they set out from Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness; and there Israel camped in front of the mountain.”

— Exodus 19:1-2 (NASB 1995)

Due to movies like Charlton Heston’s Ten Commandments, we often think their time at Mount Sinai was a mere few days, but in reality it was close to a year. In fact they held a holding pattern in the Wilderness of Sinai for approximately two years. During this time, God not only gave them the Law, but He instructed them on the building of the Tabernacle.

If we spend a little time thinking about these holding patterns the Children of Israel had to endure we can recognize God’s wisdom in the waiting. Their time in Egypt was actually a time of great growth. There was a population explosion among the Israelites. That was precisely why Pharaoh became persistent in keeping them under his thumb.

“8 Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.
9 He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we.
10 Come, let us deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land.”
11 So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses.
12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel.
13 The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously;
14 and they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously imposed on them.”

— Exodus 1:8-14 (NASB 1995)

Their holding pattern in the Wilderness of Sinai was meant to teach the people the necessity of the Law and the Tabernacle as a space for worshipping God. While we now recognize the Law and the Tabernacle as a shadow of God’s future intent, salvation through the perfect lamb of His Son Jesus, it was necessary to remind humanity of the holiness and righteousness of God.

Are you experiencing a holding pattern in your life right now? Do you feel like an airplane circling over the airport waiting for the go ahead to land? I am right there with you, girlfriends! While this time is difficult, I am trying to remember God’s purposes are beyond what I can comprehend. He knows exactly what other planes (circumstances) are circling around, and how to bring everything safely onto His runway, in His time. While we are waiting, I recommend talking to the co-pilot (Jesus). Get to know Him better. After all, His Father owns the airport!

Have a great weekend, everyone, and fly safe! :)

Back in January I published a post on my word for the year 2024. The word was wait. At that time I decided I was going to spend once a month looking at different words and definitions related to the word wait. This month we are going to dive into the word abide.

When I hear the word abide I think of an image like the one above. This is a fictional place where I would like to abide, or live. I want to dwell there, not just visit. To me abiding feels more cozy and desirable than the word wait, but what if you don’t like your abode? What if you would like to move to a different place to abide, but you can’t. At that point you might feel more like a prisoner than a resident.

We learn a lot about a word by looking at its definition. Webster’s Online Dictionary defines abide in this way:

- to continue in a place: sojourn (intransitive verb)

- to remain stable or fixed in a state (intransitive verb)

- to bear patiently: tolerate (transitive verb)

- to endure without yielding: withstand (transitive verb)

- to wait for; await (transitive verb)

- to accept without objection (transitive verb)

Grammar tends to drive most of us crazy, but I found the differentiation between transitive and intransitive curious. Since it has been a long while since I took an English class, I had to look at what those words meant and how that affects these meanings.

“A transitive verb is one that makes sense only if it exerts its action on an object. An intransitive verb will make sense without an object. Some verbs can be used both ways.”

— Grammarly (online)

I can say, “I abide in a house in California.” I can also say, “I cannot abide a house in California.” If I just said, “I cannot abide…” then you would have no idea what it is that I am not abiding. In the first sentence it is obvious, albeit an odd way of saying it, that I live in a house in California. You could have shortened the sentence and just said, “I abide in California.” Okay, that is enough grammar for one day. Ha, ha.

So when I use the word abide as it pertains to the idea of waiting what definition is most appropriate? Would it be odd to say, I believe all the definitions pertain. Let’s dig deeper.

One of the most familiar passages in scripture where Jesus talks about abiding is found in John 15.

“1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

— John 15:1-11

When Jesus says, “Abide in Me…” He is talking about continuing or sojourning in Him. Basically, when we make Christ our Lord and Savior He wants us to come live with Him. He is also saying to remain stable or fixed in Him.

The image of a grape arbor comes to mind when Jesus is talking. The base part of a grape plant, the vine, becomes like a mini tree trunk. The branches are the long arms that extend from the vine and the part that produces the beautiful clusters of grapes. The grape clusters don’t just happen. They have to be part of the bigger vine, the part that digs down into the soil and brings nutrients to the rest of the plant. Just as the branches have to be part of the vine to grow and produce, we have to be part of Christ to bear the fruit of the His Spirit.

This is where I want to make a connection between abiding and waiting. There are seasons in life where you might feel useless, or like you are not bearing any fruit. We start to question our relationship with Christ, and maybe even doubt our salvation, but lets look back at those transitive uses of the word abide. There are times where we have to bear patiently, endure without yielding, wait for, and accept without objection.

Perhaps the whole point behind Jesus’ talk on abiding in Him was not only about bearing fruit, but about the changes that He knew we would all face living life in a fallen world. Just like the grape arbor we face all manner of storms, from wind and hail, to lightening, to torrential rains, to snow and ice. During those times we have to wait, stand firm, and sink our roots ever deeper into the good soil of our Heavenly Father. Most importantly we need to learn to accept without objecting. Our Father is a good Father, and He knows exactly what the arbor needs to produce the best fruit. During these times of waiting out the storms we can remember what Jesus said. “As the Father has love me, so I have loved you. Abide in my love.”

Finally, Jesus ends with the statement, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” Christ has made clear, by abiding in Him, not only will we bear fruit, but we will know the Father’s love and our Savior’s full joy.

If you are in a waiting time, don’t be discouraged. Look at it as the opportunity it is to abide and know your Savior even better.

Have a great weekend!

A Year of Waiting - Holding Pattern

A Year of Waiting - Abide