"Graveyard Shift"

There are some of us who have jobs that cover the graveyard shift, from about midnight to eight in the morning. Those hours are mostly when others are sleeping, which is probably why the shift got its name. And those hours, like graveyards, are pretty quiet, dark, with not much action going on. If we listened, we could probably hear the seconds tick away.

Time seems to stop, and waiting for dawn seems like waiting for eternity."I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His Word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning." (Psalm 130:5-6). Is there some prayer we have prayed that seems unanswered? Is there some desperate need we have that continues to be unmet? Waiting is when the Lord shapes us and molds us. Waiting is when our souls, more than anything else, know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the answer is coming. Just as sure as watchmen know the dawn is coming and their shift will be over, we can also be sure in our waiting. Jesus is our hope. Jesus never disappoints.

Perhaps in our waiting we have gotten discouraged or impatient. Perhaps in our waiting we have relied too much on our own strength to answer our needs. The Lord is telling us that only He can bring true peace and real hope. Only the Lord can give us the perfect timing for our requests that seem to hang in the air. When we wait, it is an opportunity for our souls to connect with God. When we wait, all the noise and distraction can be shed from our souls, so that all we have to focus on is the Lord Himself. And from our graveyard shifts will arise a new dawn that will brighten our waiting souls today and forever!

Until next time, make it a blessed day,

Pastor Ellen