Waiting and Waiting and Still Waiting...
03/21/2022 .Waiting and Waiting and Still Waiting…
Is there something you’re waiting on the Lord for? I think we have all had something we’ve waited on God for. Health, finances, relationship, dream or desire yet unfulfilled.
Isaiah tells us “Yet those who wait upon the Lord will gain new strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weary.” (Isaiah 40:31)
We’ve been searching for our new home for over 5 years. We’ve had many buildings that met some of our search criteria (location, size, accessibility, ceiling heights, visibility, parking) but not all. We’ve had some say no thanks to our offers. We’ve had a great building that we were out bid on. We’ve had complications arise in working out the offer and acceptance on a couple properties.
If I’m being honest, when it comes to this building search, I don’t feel like I have new strength. I don’t feel that I’m soaring like an eagle. In fact, I’m feeling just the opposite. I’m tired and weary. I feel like giving up and throwing in the towel.
Maybe you’ve been there. Or are there now?
I don’t have any trite or simple answers to our struggles in waiting.
But I do offer a few thoughts for you and myself. These are hard and I’m trying. My prayer and hope for you and I, is that we try.
1. The context of Isaiah 40, is that the nation of Israel had turned from God and were under His judgement, most likely the siege and captivity of Israel by Assyria in 721 BC. Read the whole chapter. It’s a good one. In fact, look at verse 27.
Why do you say O Jacob, and assert O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord and the justice due me escapes the notice of God”?
Wow. In the midst of my waiting, I’ve said those words to God. Have you?
The truth is, God promises me the WHAT, I WILL gain new strength. I WILL soar like an eagle. I WILL not grow tired or weary. But He never promises me WHEN. Now that’s
big boy faith! To trust God with the WHAT while not knowing the exact WHEN.
So, the application I think, is it’s ok if we get weary and tired and feel like quitting. We WILL get tired and weary and feel like giving up. Just don’t! Don’t give up. It’s been said that the only way for one to really fail, is to quit. So don’t.
2. So many times is my life I have to keep coming back to this truth. God never called me to results. He called me to faithfulness and abiding in Him. God never said to me, Kyung, you have to find this building! He never said, success is securing a new home for Irvine South. That’s something I’ve imposed on myself. But what He did say is:
Abide in Me and I in you. – John 15:4
It is not for you to know the times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, Samaria and even to the remotest part of the earth. – Acts 1:7-8
Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. – Galatians 6:9
So, no matter the outcome, I will focus on being faithful to God. Obeying His word. Abiding and loving Jesus every day. That’s success! I’ll leave the results to God.
Call to Action: Don’t give up. Focus on faithfulness. Obeying His word. Abiding and falling more in more in love with Jesus. If we do that, we can’t fail!
Moving and Search Update (for latest updates see in bold at bottom):
-Our last day to evacuate our current building is July 31, 2022-We will be organizing teams for the physical move and search
-We’re securing a temporary meeting worship space in Irvine to begin in July or August of 2022. Most likely a High School or Hotel.
-We’re searching for a new building and home in this search area: Jamboree to Barranca to Von Karmen to Main.
-We’ve put in a non-binding letter of intent on Jan. 25, 2022 to purchase a building in Irvine, waiting for owner’s response
-We’re searching and touring for temporary midweek office and ministry space in Irvine.
-The owner has signed the non-binding letter of intent!
-Please pray for the process of signing a binding purchase agreement (final price, deposit, due diligence period, etc.)
-Please pray fervently for our new home negotiations. We’ve hit a snag with the owner and some of his demands.
-We’re also looking earnestly for temporary weekday offices to facilitate our staff, and any week day or evening ministries. A space of about 8000-10,000 square feet. Why? Because even if we do possess a new home building, it will take at least 6 month to a year of renovation for it to be “church” ready.
-We’re still waiting to hear back from the owner on our counterproposal. Please pray God would turn the heart of the owner to say Yes.
-In the meantime, we’re still actively searching for other possible homes.
-We’ve submitted a letter of intent on a possible midweek office space. Waiting to hear back from the owners.
-This week, 3/21, we’re also touring some other possible midweek office spaces.
-We’re in the process of drafting letters of intent on a couple other church buildings in Irvine as well as on a couple potential and temp office spaces.
-We’ve delivered offers on three possible properties. We’re doing due diligence on a fourth property to determine if we should put in an offer.
-Good news. There’s still hope on the first property that the owner originally accepted but then countered during the purchase agreement phase. We’ve agreed to his counter, but working out some conditions of our own before resubmitting.
-We have submitted our counterproposal in this purchase agreement phase for our first building. Please pray the owner will accept.
-One of the three properties we submitted an offer to has withdrawn, so we are down to two properties.
-Another property has been identified but there are parking issues. We are doing due diligence before deciding whether to submit an offer or not.
