Pastor Wayne Cordeiro
May 10, 2020 - W2019

“Waiting on The Lord” 

Mother's Day

May 9 & 10, 2020

Pastor Wayne Cordeiro

PASTOR WAYNE CORDEIRO: Happy Mother's Day! Welcome from our home in [Eugene] Oregon—our kitchen is the gathering place as we share today’s message, “Waiting on The Lord.” My wife Anna and my son Aaron and his wife, Uilani, are with me also; Leslie Kiriakos is joining us from our pasture with our new filly! Although we're away from all of you, we want to be connected with you at the heart because you are all part of our wonderful family! 

Isaiah 40:31(NKJV) says: “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”

PASTOR AARON CORDEIRO:  Happy Mother's Day, everyone!  Today, I have two of my favorite mothers in the whole world:  My beautiful wife, Uilani, mother of our children; and my mother, the sweetest lady on planet earth!  I will ask Mom (Anna Cordeiro) some questions because we could really use some wisdom; and I believe moms are the most patient people in the whole world, and we're in a season of waiting—it's not easy to wait!  

Mom, you've walked so closely with Jesus and have served Him and our family so faithfully throughout the years. Tell me, “What things have you learned in your seasons of waiting?”

ANNA CORDEIRO: One of the things I learned is to be patient with children because they're just starting to learn.  We all had to start someplace, and sometimes we expect children to be a bit older than they are, and we're a little harsher than we should be.  I think that waiting for them to catch what we're teaching is very important because every move we make will either teach them in a good way or a negative way!

PASTOR AARON:   Mom, growing up is in itself a season of waiting. You taught me to have fun during those waiting seasons when I was learning badminton, volleyball, and tennis in our backyard—my favorite was ping pong.  One of the greatest lessons you taught me in seasons of waiting is just to enjoy each other—family, company, community—thank you for that!

ANNA:  I love to play; I would tell your dad that I have the gift of play—and it drew all of you closer to me!

UI: That’s so good. During this Covid-19 season, we must be creative as we can't just go to the movies or to the mall—but we can make something good during this time of seclusion. Mom, what biblical principles have you depended on in your season of motherhood that never changes?

ANNA:  I just love that we can center in on our families—sometimes, that's difficult to do because the family looks a bit different nowadays. Still, we are a family, so taking those moments to pray and encourage one another are very important.

UI:  I sometimes compare myself to online moms who make homemade crafts and Martha Stewart-looking lunches for her kids! How did you overcome that monster comparison that really steals our joy?

ANNA:  For me, one of the biggest changes I made was to move from Oregon to Hawaii in 1984. I began thinking, “I can't be a pastor's wife. I've never been a pastor's wife!” “I'm not like her, I don't play the piano like her.” I felt so defeated thinking, “I can't do anything—all I can do is play!” My husband said, "Just be my wife."  I said, “I can do that,” and by concentrating on what I can do, I overcame the comparison trap! It helps to focus on what is most important—just be yourself and do the things that you do best! I like to play tennis so one day after a tennis match, I was sitting next to a lady and she began crying and said, "I'm so far from God, and I don't know what to do.  I don't know how to get back and I don't even think He'll take me back."  I said, "No, God loves you so much, He'll take you back!"  Think about that—if I couldn't play tennis, I wouldn't have been able to encourage that lady! So, whatever it is you do, you can always share with people. 

PASTOR AARON:  I'm reminded that there's not a ton of things that we can do; but there are things that only you can do!  We, at New Hope, call it "The 5 Percent"; for example, only you can work on your faith, your marriage, or being a parent who is pleasing to the Lord. Waiting is tough, but it can be a blessing when we get back to being who God created and called us to be!

ANNA:  Women compare a lot with each other, as we don’t want to look bad in front of people. Ask the Lord, “Who have you called me to be?” I journaled in my daily devotions: “Lord, make me pure. I want to be the woman you've called me to be.” 

PASTOR AARON:  Mom, in a season of waiting, you taught me to pray. When I was about 10 years old, I lost my wallet with all my birthday money in it, and I asked, "Mom, what do I do?"  The first thing you said was: "Let's get on our knees and pray."  So, we got on our knees and prayed then you said, "Okay, let's look." Within seconds, I found my wallet behind my bed! But the craziest time was when I lost my retainer.  I had already lost it a few times, and Dad said, "If you lose it again, you’ll have to pay for it."  I lost it again, and said, "Mom, I lost my retainer," and the first thing you said was: "Well, let's get on our knees and pray."  And we did. The next day, when we opened the front door, my cat had found my retainer and brought it to the front door—it's the coolest thing!  The time of waiting taught me that prayer works, and God is real! 

What were some of the toughest seasons of your life, and what have you've learned through those times?

ANNA:  When you were 8 years old, we adopted Abby.  I knew that we were supposed to adopt a child and I prayed but still I thought, “Lord, am I worthy of adopting a baby? Are we good enough for this?”  We were at a pastor's retreat and Dad and another pastor were talking, but I was a little discouraged and wasn't paying attention because they were talking about church stuff, I just wanted to chill; but I wish I had been listening because while walking back to the car, Dad turned to us and said, "I asked the pastors to pray this morning, and the pastor sitting next to me was so excited that he called the girl he was counseling (his daughter's best friend), and said, "I found the parents for your baby!" 

Three months later, the girl’s mother called me and said, "You have a baby daughter!"  I said, "We want to give her (the mom) some time to be with the baby and fully decide."   I couldn't believe I was saying that because I wanted to go over there, get the baby, and have it done! But the Lord was taking me through a place of waiting and trusting Him—I was so anxious that I was covered with hives! I knew God was taking care of everything, but I thought, “What if she changes her mind!?”  We may not know the outcome—but God does!  

What really touched me was when the young lady walked into the room, carrying the baby (Abigail), and told us, "I love her so much (with tears streaming down her face) but I know she belongs to you,” and handed the baby to me. It was all I could do to not burst into tears myself!  This is bigger than just her handing this baby to me; it was God handing His baby to us!  After seeing it firsthand—for the first time I understood the meaning of sacrifice, when she handed Abby to me—it was an object lesson of God's love! 

PASTOR AARON:  Mom, looking back, was there any unnecessary worry or anxiety that you would maybe do differently?

ANNA:  We're human, and we have the human element of the flesh that says, “You're not worth it. Why would God do that for you?”  We have to just say, “If God said it, then I believe it! I’m going forward and pray: “God, give me the strength not to waver and the strength to remain steady!”

UI:  I think so many times we feel like a bad Christian for doubting what God said; but He's so compassionate and understands how we misuse our imagination and become anxious about the things that could possibly go wrong when promises are not yet realized. We struggle, especially, in this season when people are losing their jobs, and when our prayers are not yet answered. What was something that really helped you to overcome those human emotions?  

ANNA:  I kept a lot of that to myself; but God created us as beings who need each other!  I began sharing certain things with my prayer partners and asked them, "Would you be praying with me about this?"  It really helped to know that my sisters were praying for me.  It's important to have certain people (one, two, or maybe three) who you really know will pray with and for you—not just talk about the problem to anyone. That gave me extra peace during that time.  

PASTOR AARON:  Mom, you've been so faithful over the years.  Whenever I'd wake up, I would always see you doing your devotions.  Journaling is something you and dad have passed on to me. How has devotions anchored you in those uneasy times?

ANNA:  It's amazing to me that God is not surprised at what we do—He is not shocked because He knows before it happens! I have a routine: I get a cup tea and a piece of toast and start my devotions on my computer and my Bible because I like to hear and read the verses at the same time—I don't want to miss what He will highlight for me that day! So, as I'm hearing the Word, I’m taking notes. A scripture would stand out to me and I say, “Oh, that is so good,” and I write it down.  I might have six or seven verses written down, then I go back and look them up—that's what God spoke to me today! He knows that I would need that word today.  It's just amazing!  I love doing devotions!

UI:  Our daughter Eliana is now having devotions with Grammy a few times a week.  As we're entering into the preteen stage, please pray for us.  Precious relationships are developed in this season of waiting as we study His word together and learn to hear God speaking.

PASTOR WAYNE (returns):  Leslie, your kids all turned out loving God, and they're doing fine, so I know you’re a great mom. But several years ago, you went through some turbulent times.  Tell me about that. Where did you get the strength when you wanted to just implode?

LESLIE:   Pastor Wayne, as you know, I was married 24-1/2 years, and divorce wasn't what I was expecting! It put me through a season that I became super depressed, sad, and disappointed with the direction of my life!  It was a season of waiting on the Lord—not just sitting and doing nothing. The Lord was continually speaking to me, encouraging me to persevere reading the Word and worshiping.  I would go to sleep listening to worship music; and the first thing even before I put my feet on the floor, I would turn on worship music, and ask the Lord to help me get through the day.  He is so faithful! I have a deeper understanding of His faithfulness that I wouldn’t have if I did not go through that valley.

PASTOR WAYNE:  This filly was born in the middle of the COVID?19 pandemic, and I had the privilege of helping to deliver her, cut her umbilical cord, and help her to stand up.  We named her Faith because every time we look at her, we’re reminded that whatever situation we're in, God is faithful!

During this time, I went to an expensive restaurant and noticed that a waiter was assigned to each table.  Our waiter was just out of our eyesight, but he wasn't idle.  He was actively waiting, watching my table for a sign—when I drank from my glass of water, he was right there with a water pitcher to fill it!

When waiting on the Lord, we're to be like a waiter watching for any movement and asking: “What's your heart, Lord?”  “What can I say to a son, daughter, or an estranged child?” “Lord, would you say it through me?”  “Would you love them through me?” Waiting on The Lord is not idleness; it's actually watching for His slightest movement that stirs us to action! Thank you that we get to do life together—we are greater together! 

FOR DISCUSSION: 

1.      Share about the toughest season of your life. 
2.      In thinking of the 5%, list those things that only you can do.  
3.      If you are in a tough season right now, name four things you can do.
4.      Name a person you call when you need a helping hand. 
5.      What will you do when you can lend a helping hand to someone?