Unfulfilled Longings

I believe there are times when we will all experience unfulfilled longings. Sometimes the longings are brief, and sometimes they can last years.  During the 2 week period when Justin and I were waiting and praying for our little baby to make it, I read this devotional about Unfulfilled longings.  It brought great encouragement to me.  Just another example of how God's timing is so perfect:

"What does a heart in pain do with unfilled longing?  Wallow in self-pity?  Cry itself to sleep? There just aren't many options.  An unfulfilled desire is one of the deepest pains we can know.  It can challenge our identity and destroy our hope.  Do Christians struggle with unfulfilled longings?  Of course.  We like to think God is the center of our lives at all times, and all desires pale in comparison to him.  But passionate hearts aren't so easily tamed.  In our best moments, God may reign supreme and all other desire pale.  But we didn't lose our humanity when we were redeemed.  And our humanity still longs for what it can't have.  We can rebuke ourselves, of course, and tell ourselves that we've gotten our focus off of God.  We may be entirely right, but a rebuke doesn't usually satisfy us.  If our dreams are still unfulfilled and our cravings are intense, right answers won't help.  Even when they're wrong cravings-and they often are-we can take them to God.  There's no need to flee.  He understands how the human heart longs.

All our longings lie open before God, even when we don't want them to.  But it's best to let them lie honestly before Him, regardless of whether they are good or bad, right or wrong, godly or painfully human.  The God who created our hearts understands them.  He know how they hurt.  and He wants us to open them up before Him.  Do you long for the right spouse, a precious child, a meaningful career, a healed relationship, a different situation than you no find yourself in?  Welcome to life as a human being.  God may or may not fulfill that specific desire, although you can rest assured that He fully intends to fulfill the needs behind it.  In the meantime lay yourself bare before Him.  Don't hide your sighs.  Trust that the God who made you for Himself plans to fill you with Himself, with blessings beside. His timing isn't yours, but His love is.  Open yourself to it, even when it hurts."