So…ground breaking has come and gone, and things are rolling ahead, right? Sort of. Part of me suspects that one of the hardest parts of the next 12 months or so will be the waiting. There will be challenges and unforeseen obstacles. There will be expected progress vs. actual progress. And there will be waiting–lots of it. And that’s our mode right now.

We have a bunch of stakes in the ground. We have a few pieces of equipment sitting around. And we’re waiting. Today is the day that we meet with the requisite authorities to finalize permissions and procedures. Lord willing, all will go well and tomorrow will bring some early work on the site. But it won’t be dramatic bull-dozing and exploding rock, it will be silt fencing and surveying. Next week should bring the big, fun stuff.

Waiting is good for us–after all, one of the fruit of the spirit is patience. And when we are looking to God to provide a blessing, we are required to have faith. Faith is exercised in the waiting, and that glorifies God. So, hopefully, when you drive by the farm on Sunday, you’ll see some progress; but it may not be as much as you expected. Have faith. God is at work, and he will see to it that our building is built, even as he sees to our spiritual growth as his children. We can trust him and take heart. Waiting may not be fun, but the fruit it produces is invaluable.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

James 1:2-4