Those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. —Psalm 37:9 (KJV)
It was a day I can never forget. I was at the Alabama cabin my grandfather built years before. To most, it’s a modest place. To me, it’s always been paradise. The night before, I sat outside, listening to the call of the owl that inhabited the middle part of the little island where the cabin sits. Long ago, my grandfather chose this spot for its perfect sunset and made a deal with the property owner. As part of the agreement, the middle of the island would forever remain common property for all to enjoy. The deal was sealed with my grandfather’s trusted handshake.
Now, at the crack of dawn, I woke up to a terrible noise. I rushed outside and found a crew of workers clearing trees on the common property. “What are you doing?” I shouted above the bedlam.
“We’re harvesting the trees for the owner,” a man shouted back. “Lots of money here.”
I soon discovered the man on the other side of my grandfather’s handshake didn’t match Grandfather’s trustworthiness. He had somehow shifted ownership of the common property to his name.
I had no idea if the owl escaped or where the other wildlife had gone. The island looked like a war zone. My heart felt shredded. Afterward, I tried to avoid the ravaged wasteland that was once a wildlife sanctuary.
Then one day I noticed a little bit of green, then some wildflowers, and finally trees popping up everywhere. I whispered, “Oh, God, I see You here.” Today, the middle of the island is lush once more.
Last night as I was walking on the property with my family, I heard it again: the call of an owl. It reminded me that sometimes when everything seems lost, all that’s left is to wait …and trust our Father to make things new again.
Father, when I am defeated, remind me to wait for You.
