The Gift of Lingering Longer

The quiet struggle we have with waiting (you’re not alone)

I am sitting here about to fall asleep because of cold meds messing with my head, and thought, ‘Hey, now would be a perfect time to work on my weekly post!’

Ha! I am learning more and more just to do the thing. I am working on committing myself to write a publication weekly, and not let my perfectionism get in the way.

Just do the thing.

Because truth is, I have loads to share, and a million ideas hit my brain each day.

Any of you creatives relate?

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The Gift

I was fighting for my quiet time this morning. The battle came with simply attempting to be still in my mind, to set my focus and meditate on Jesus. I get grumpy when I don’t feel well, and I know this is an attempt from the enemy to steal something precious that’s within my reach.

I felt God asking me to tarry here with him a little longer. Most days, I spend this focused time without sound. But today, I turned to one of my favorite worshippers to help me linger. I was struggling, and this psalmist took me into the throne room. I am so grateful for the Body of Christ— for all of you creatives out there helping us wait a bit longer with a song, a word, a picture, or some other expression of love that flows from our Creator. Thank you.

If you’d like to experience that time yourself, have a listen:

With the softening and yielding of my heart and mind to the One Who is worthy, I wrote some poetry. Here’s one that flowed out of my quiet time:

Linger by Kim Strebeck

Wait,
just
wait a little
longer—
Tarry 
here
with Me,
My beloved

My whispers,
A treasured
Treasure 
trove,
The Fountain
of 
Life

Wait
here,
wait for
just a moment
longer,
Linger— 
rest

Life is 
Here 
for you,
in the waiting

Jesus’s voice spoke to me loud and clear through this poem. It shifted my attitude, lifted my soul out of the dregs, gave me strength. It’s such a beautiful picture of how life works in the Kingdom of God. I was encouraged and inspired by my brother’s musical gift. I, in turn, created something that may hold encouragement for another— perhaps for you.

And it’s all from Him, our King. Our Father of Lights.

So, my very dear friends, don’t get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures. -James 1:17 MSG

Let us not sit on these gift God has given us.

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. -1 Peter 4:10-11 ESV

Why don’t we use these creative gifts? Why haven’t I? If you’re like me at all (please tell me I’m not alone), you have been waiting to put out that perfect word, poem, drawing, photograph— but, perfectionism.

Perfectionism has lied to you. It has told you that in order to be valuable to others, to God, to your community, you must have a polished, perfected product. Perhaps what you are waiting to have complete would only be something that is a shadow of you and what you originally intended. The cutting room floor is necessary, and I am all for excellence— but how many times have we let this looming fear of ‘not good enough’ box us in, keep us quiet, hold us back?

Who defines good enough, anyway?

A perfect imperfect example would be this post. I hardly knew what I intended when I started, except that I wanted to put something beautiful out into this space— for you, for my King, and for my very own self.

This is how the Kingdom works, after all. When we shakily set the painstakingly crafted beauty of our gift before others and before our King, we are dropping a seed into the ground. Maybe no one knows or sees but God. The roots will go deep on some of those seeds, although you may only see the smallest bit of green above the soil. So, plant it. Write it. Draw it.

Create it, and—

Just wait.

Wait with Him.

Don’t give up.

Linger a little longer.

And release your gift to the Kingdom— oh, how we need it.

May we all be more like Jessie— relaxing on the back of her guardian and best friend, Sugar. Jesus, much like Sugar, is well able to carry us on His shoulders!

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