Burning Brightly While Waiting Gently: Patience and the Difference Maker -By Rue Arrow
“Things are hard.”
I listened quietly, praying in my spirit as tears welled in sweet Aisha’s beautiful, brown eyes. The West African air hugged us, the village resting silently, save for the soft hush of rustling palm trees and scurrying lizards.
Things are hard. The words lay heavy on my heart, yet, I had no answer to comfort the soul sitting on the roof beside me in the still of the night.
Dear Jesus, my heart beckoned, grasping for an answer, give me the words! Let Your Spirit intercede, come forth with strength in my weakness.
Suddenly, I felt the need to gaze up at the sky. The dark velvet of the night loomed above me, yet still the stars – glittering diamonds of light – flickered in glorious array. In the quiet, I felt His tender nudging on my heart.
Remember child, “the Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). I am the Light in the Darkness. No thing, no matter how hard, has overcome me.
I breathed in the reminder with gratitude. Thank You.
Reaching for Aisha’s hand, I smiled. “Look up, Aisha.”
Confusion flit across her face, still she lifted her eyes, looking up at the story of hope and beauty and love teeming across the heavenly lights. She did not move, her gaze fixated on what was above.
After a moment I whispered, “I know the God who made those stars. They are beautiful, yes. But He is even more beautiful. They are only small reflections of His glory. And that God…” I paused, longing for her to know the gravity of my next words,
“He knows you. He loves you. The God who places every burning light in the sky, longs to be the Light in your soul, Aisha. You are precious to Him. And just like how the stars always shine, no matter how deep the darkness of the night, when we have God’s spirit within us, He remains there even in the hard things.”
Tears now streamed freely down Aisha’s cheeks as she hugged her knees to her chest. “He wants to be that light…always and forever…in me? Even though things are hard? Even when I cannot handle the hardness of it?”
I nodded, “always and forever.”
We sat there for a long time that dark, West African night. Neither of us said much else…enough had been said for the moment. But that seed planted was the first time Aisha had heard that her Creator wanted to burn brightly in her soul. She had heard stories of God, yes. But never had she heard of His heart’s desire to know her and love her so deeply.
Almost a year later, Aisha accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior – as did her entire family. They were the very first West African souls, and precious friends, we saw come to Christ in our ministry overseas.
Now I have many precious stories of God’s hand in the heart of West Africa, Europe, and America alike. But I chose to share this story for one reason: sometimes burning brightly, means waiting gently.
It took many months for these reflections of Light to catch brightly in Aisha’s soul. I had to burn brightly…and wait gently.
To be a difference maker for God’s kingdom is not to present Him with many converts. Though, that is indeed a beautiful fruit of being faithful in pursuing God!
Instead, being a difference maker for God’s kingdom is to remember Christ’s patient mercy in our own life and choosing to reflect it in our interactions with the world.
Timothy writes “But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display His perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in Him for eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:16).
Christ has waited gently for our souls, all while pursuing us with unspeakable desire. Should we not be all the more willing to reflect this in our testimony to others likewise?
Dear heart, deepest impact occurs when passion and patience coincide.
So burn brightly…and wait gently.
Because that is what Jesus did for us.
Rue Arrow: is a soul-pondering, rain-dancing, dawn-seeking, child of the Father with deep feeling and intrigue for both the blessings and brokenness in this beautifully messy life. Her family serves as missionaries in West Africa and she delights in reflecting on the ways His love reaches even “the uttermost.” You can further journey with her in this pursuit of God's heart through her blog at ruearrow.com.