{"id":220,"date":"2017-10-18T12:38:25","date_gmt":"2017-10-18T12:38:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.greatadventure.carterclan.me.uk\/?p=220"},"modified":"2017-10-18T12:41:15","modified_gmt":"2017-10-18T12:41:15","slug":"waiting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greatadventure.carterclan.me.uk\/?p=220","title":{"rendered":"Waiting."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I’ve been thinking a lot about waiting lately, reflecting on Tanya Marlow’s new book. Today I’m linking up with other blogs on this subject, and offering this little piece of waiting of my own.<\/p>\n

This is part of the synchroblog on waiting, to celebrate the release of Those Who Wait: Finding God in Disappointment, Doubt and Delay <\/em>by Tanya Marlow \u2013 out now. See more here<\/a> and link up to the synchroblog here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Waiting.<\/p>\n

Waiting in a crowd of baying teens,<\/p>\n

P.E in frozen rain in December 1985,<\/p>\n

hanging my head at the back,<\/p>\n

shame heavy in my stomach<\/p>\n

Again.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Not chosen. Not chosen. Going to be last,<\/p>\n

going to be shoved out in the cold.<\/p>\n

Can’t run as fast. Can’t play as well as them. Can’t do this.<\/p>\n

The weakling.<\/p>\n

The pathetic one.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Waiting.<\/p>\n

Waiting for the healing.<\/p>\n

‘Aren’t you better yet? You look so well!’<\/p>\n

No.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Waiting for the pain to flee away.<\/p>\n

The pain that grips so tight, clenching iron-like around my chest,<\/p>\n

squeezing in<\/p>\n

Relentless.<\/p>\n

Waiting for God to ease. To gather it up and fling it far from me.<\/p>\n

Waiting in arms of inexpressible love<\/p>\n

and depths of inexpressible joy,<\/p>\n

but waiting, still.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When will you come, God? When?<\/p>\n

How long?<\/p>\n

My tears have been my food day and night, says the psalmist, but then<\/p>\n

deep still calls to deep.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Still I find rest for my soul,<\/p>\n

strength for limbs which have none left,<\/p>\n

peace beyond comprehension, and<\/p>\n

far beyond that.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Deep still calls to deep<\/p>\n

In the roar of waterfalls of something beyond<\/p>\n

my pain.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Waiting<\/p>\n

Waiting in groaning expectation<\/p>\n

For everything to be<\/p>\n

Whole.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Those Who Wait: Finding God in Doubt, Disappointment and Delay<\/strong><\/em> \u2013 Tanya Marlow (Malcolm Down 2017)<\/strong> is a creative journey through the lives of four biblical saints who waited impatiently. It\u2019s for anyone who is waiting for something, (which is all of us), but struggles with it, (which is most of us).<\/p>\n

For more details, including the special introductory offer, click here.<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  I’ve been thinking a lot about waiting lately, reflecting on Tanya Marlow’s new book. Today I’m linking up with other blogs on this subject,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/s8T2j8-waiting","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":217,"url":"https:\/\/greatadventure.carterclan.me.uk\/?p=217","url_meta":{"origin":220,"position":0},"title":"Those who Wait…","author":"liz","date":"October 17, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"So many of us live in a time of waiting. 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My life hasn\u2019t been a sparkling example of God\u2019s power, because my life has been a wait. A long wait. Today, though, I can hear something in the distance. Something like the ringing of bells at\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"advent\"","block_context":{"text":"advent","link":"https:\/\/greatadventure.carterclan.me.uk\/?tag=advent"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greatadventure.carterclan.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/anna.png?fit=560%2C315&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greatadventure.carterclan.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/anna.png?fit=560%2C315&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greatadventure.carterclan.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/anna.png?fit=560%2C315&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15,"url":"https:\/\/greatadventure.carterclan.me.uk\/?p=15","url_meta":{"origin":220,"position":3},"title":"Advent Shadows","author":"liz","date":"November 29, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"It's Advent Sunday, and I started the day grumpy. I've been poorly for the past month and the antibiotics are taking their toll while not winning over the infection. Yet. They will. 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Have you deserted me for ever? \u00a0 Why so downcast, O my soul? \u00a0 I have nothing left. \u00a0 Into the depths of deep, the cavernous abyss of incessant\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"agony\"","block_context":{"text":"agony","link":"https:\/\/greatadventure.carterclan.me.uk\/?tag=agony"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.greatadventure.carterclan.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/chuttersnap-352841-unsplash-1024x684.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.greatadventure.carterclan.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/chuttersnap-352841-unsplash-1024x684.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.greatadventure.carterclan.me.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/chuttersnap-352841-unsplash-1024x684.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":55,"url":"https:\/\/greatadventure.carterclan.me.uk\/?p=55","url_meta":{"origin":220,"position":5},"title":"Tapestry ponderings","author":"liz","date":"June 16, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"At our Thursday coffee group today we were thinking about waiting for answers to prayers, and waiting for God to act, and what about when God doesn't, and all that. 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