Lisa-Jo Baker
About the Author

Lisa-Jo is the best-selling author of Never Unfriended and Surprised by Motherhood. Her newest book, The Middle Matters: Why That (Extra)Ordinary Life Looks Really Good on You invites us to get a good look at our middles and gives us permission to embrace them.

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
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(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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  1. This story of a huge and faithful waiting — by strangers! — rebukes my impatience and requires that I linger over tea this morning for as long as anyone wants to sit at the breakfast table and talk. May we find grace to give the ministry of presence to family and to friends.

  2. Lisa-Jo,
    God continues to stretch and then stretch again my waiting muscles. We, as a society, have become less and less tolerant of waiting. What a wonderful story you can pull from the archives of your brain to play when the waiting gets tough. Waiting through my 4th surgery recovery, I’ve learned that God can birth some great plans when we are forced to be still and wait. After my first surgery years back, I was inspired by ya’ll to start my blog. Another period of waiting through surgery recovery birthed a non-profit ministry for orphaned children in the Middle East. Waiting to see what this recovery will morph into?? God orchestrates great things in the waiting and He reminds us of His faithfulness to be there waiting at the gate when we finally arrive.
    What wonderful memories/testimonies you are giving your children. Answering inquisitive questions builds a faith legacy…you go girl!
    Blessings,
    Bev xx
    ps. This Pittsburgh girl turned Southerner can’t help but give a shout out to her back to back Stanley Cup winning Pens!!

    • Bev,
      I just wanted to share with you of how my own journey has been one of waiting for healing. Mine comes in the form of chronic environmental illness and chronic fatigue syndrome. It’s been a long wait of over 20 years. Yet, I see the Lord teaching me much in the wait, much about trusting Him rather in myself or broken people to bring about the ultimate healing only He can orchestrate. I’m glad the Lord opened the door of ministry in your life as He has. It is such a testimony of God’s grace in our lives and His power to shine in the midst of weakness. May the Lord continue to work His will through the vessel of your life and mine!

      • Diana,
        Your waiting through suffering has built in you a beautiful heart filled with compassion!! I do believe, and have experienced this, through my own long waiting periods with chronic illness. I know God is going to have a crown of life with extra jewels on it for you. I speak to this very subject of ministry born of suffering in my blog post this week. I invite you to pop over if you’d like: http://walkingwellwithgod.blogspot.com

        I know others with chronic fatigue syndrome, but chronic environmental illness – would like to know more. Maybe you could share with me?
        Thank you for taking the time to encourage me today….you are a blessing!!
        Bev xx

        • Bev, though I am slow in responding, please know your words have encouraged me since the day I first read them, the day you posted. “Ministry born of suffering” is still something I’m seeking to understand in my life. I have seen how the Lord will use the lessons I have learned in affliction to speak into another struggling sufferer’s life here and there. For these opportunities, I praise Him! Yet, there’s a longing in my heart to be more connected with others so that we can “serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Peter 4:10). Being so isolated because of my particular illness can wear on my soul. In this I continue to plead to the Lord for help and deliverance. And, I thank others for their like prayers.

          I appreciate your interest to know more about environmental illness. It’s also referred to as multiple chemical sensitivity, and some people are finding a connection with what’s called mast cell activation disorder. Just by the multiple names, you may be able to see that it’s not a well-defined ailment at this time. Therefore, in that limited understanding, treatments are all over the board with varying degrees of effectiveness.

          My experience has been one of becoming gravely ill (i.e. flu-like symptoms, burning all over pain, deep fatigue, brain fog – cognitive/thinking difficulties, plus many more) when exposed to many environmental substances with don’t seem to affect others, at least that they notice. These things include: fragrances/scents (including essential oils), petrochemicals (e.g. car exhaust), new items which are made with various off-gassing chemicals (e.g. clothes, furniture, new construction, etc.), wifi and electronic devices, just to name the major ones. Though I’ve found ways over the years to reduce my exposure to many of these things, as you probably can tell, it’s nearly impossible to avoid it all. Even me typing out this message to you has a degree of affect. But, out of love for God and for you/others, I do it with hope He will make a way through the pain!

          Again, thank you for your caring interest. I will look more at your blog site and as I’m enabled; hope to post there in time. Take care! Diana

          • Diana,
            Thank you for sharing with me what you deal with each and every day. Wow…it’s amazing the sensitivities that our bodies have to chemicals, smells, allergens, different stimuli….you name it. It sounds like an area that needs a lot more research to find out why these things trigger those reactions. Other than avoidance, is there any other treatment that seems to work?? I can see how that leaves you feeling very isolated. There are so many people battling things that we aren’t even aware of. I will certainly keep you in my prayers and I invite you over to my blog. I know some of my readers suffer from things like chronic and debilitating migraines, fibromyalgia, etc. I know some illnesses get a lot of press, but there are others like yours that people aren’t even aware of. Thank you for enlightening me. Having suffered with anxiety disorders and depression, I am always trying to erase the stigma associated with mental illness.
            Praying for you sweet sister,
            Bev xx

  3. Beautiful. God knew what I needed and he sent you right on time! God bless and thank you for sharing your father’s memory.

  4. Lisa Jo…
    You continue to take me places and I feel every moment. I love your relationship with your kids and they are so rich because you share your treasures. Just lovely.

  5. I am waiting for a prodigal daughter who 14 years ago told me she didn’t want to see me again. God has promised our reconciliation SO I’m waiting!

    • Nancy, I can’t imagine the hurt in your heart when your daughter said that to you, and the hurt that probably lingers there even now. Praying for you, but especially praying for your daughter that the Lord will draw her to Him and His Saving Grace, and that He will open her eyes to the wonderful mom she has waiting for her.

    • Nancy,
      I’m waiting for a daughter as well…not nearly as long as you….but I know the heartache you feel. Joining with you in claiming God’s promises of healing and restoration….
      ((Hugs)) and prayers,
      Bev xx

  6. Thank you, Lisa, for sharing this! In today’s impatient culture, this really resonates. We expect instantaneous gratification. We get impatient with our computers and mobile devices if they don’t deliver our content within less than a second…the car ahead of us if it doesn’t go immediately when the light turns green. Waiting 6 hours? For strangers? Without any contact during that time? Even back then that was over the top! In today’s culture, that would go viral if it were posted on social media. Yet what a public testimony of the love of Christ and God’s faithfulness. The Lord has been working on me for a lot of years in this area. I now pray for people in cars ahead of me that don’t go the speed limit or turn right in front of me, rather than getting impatient and angry, because the Lord whispered in my soul that he was putting them in front of me for a reason. I pray the Lord will remind me of your wonderful “adopted” memory the next time I start to feel impatient . Thanks again for sharing! Blessings on you and your family.

  7. Love this memory and how you showed it to me. Thank you for reminding me to deposit my memories into my children’s and grandchildren’s lives more frequently.

  8. I woke up and read this! It is exactly the right words to me, Lisa Jo! I have a friend I am waiting on in love. I know she loves me and she loves Jesus and it is so worth the wait. We are pushing through hard things and I know the prize will be a brand new Jesus centered friendship.

  9. Lisa Jo,
    You’ve really touched me with your story, and the beauty in humanity. Your children will have something positive to learn from it too. Thank-you so much for sharing this with us today.
    Have a blessed day all,

    Penny

  10. I love the way you phrased that, ‘knotting themselves into our strands and stories until they become part of the fabric,too.’ So beautiful and true! Our daughters’ favorite stories always come after, “tell us a story of when you were little.” And, I’d have to admit some of my best healing has come out of this practice. They give me grace when the story isn’t as funny as I remember and big hugs when the story catches in my throat or makes me cry.
    So much wonderful!
    Elena

  11. Lisa-Jo,

    You and your family are blessed to have those memories of long ago. The world has become so fast paced and impatient. God lovingly says “Be still and know”. He calls us to slow down & wait. Like Bev said you never know what He will birth in the waiting. Hard to believe that people would wait six hours for your parents, but that was back in the day. Friendship meant a lot & they were willing to go the extra mile for that.

    Blessings 🙂

  12. Thank you so much for your discourse. I am in a place of waiting after relocating and having so many changes in a short time. Here I was growing weary and anxious then your story came as a reminder that there is a blessing in the waiting. My faith is renewed and I rise to face today restored.

  13. What a beautiful story of what true brotherly love of patient endurance looks like! Though it’s hard for me to pull a story with this extravagant display from my own experiences, I am grateful to see this example. It gives me hope in new possibilities. I pray I may learn to this long-suffering as the Lord Jesus continues to cultivate it in me. I lift up prayers for each of you who are waiting for healing of body, healing of soul, or healing of relationships. May the God of all comfort given each us of this enduring patience while we pray and wait for prodigal sons or daughters, unsaved spouses, or broken family relationships. I have many of these in my life, if not all. I especially ask for prayers for my unsaved husband who I am waiting for the day he will understand his need for Christ as his Lord and Savior.

  14. How different missionaries were and their lifestyle back then compared to today. And it’s the same God we’re serving. Thank you for a great reminder that how your parents who have served sacrificially without expectations can sometimes be the best blessings that Abba has blessed us. I’d lived through some of those challenging moments and I want to say that I didn’t feel neglected or overlooked but with eyes focused on Christ, it trained me to be a better servant serving in truth and with love from the heart. Shalom!

  15. Needed this! Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you and your family ❤️

  16. Waooooooouuuuhhhhh, I needed to hear this today. What makes me think that I can give up on people when God is there lovingly patient with me, waiting each and every single day? Being patient is a constant renewal of our hope and trust in Jesus to be able to change and transform situations and people’s hearts including hours, anytime… May be quicker than what we expect, and may be longer… May be we’ll never see the answers to our prayers but we can’t give up because HE is faithful. Waiting for changes in my own life, and waiting for a beloved Father and brother.