Lord, I wait for you; you will answer, Lord my God. (Ps. 38:15)

My heart was pounding with enthusiasm as I looked around the courtroom in which I sat. I was among twenty-plus other people representing various nations, who awaited the judge’s cue to raise our right hand and swear an oath of allegiance as we were being granted citizenship in the United States of America.

The process that brought me to that moment had taken several years and was not only lengthy, but also stressful and very expensive. I had to cling to every ounce of belief each time an envelope arrived from the immigration department requesting more evidence of this or that, or an updated such-and-such form. But to God be all the glory, that day came, and in August 2003, I became an American citizen.

There is always a price to pay when we choose to do something, good or bad. When we sow good seeds into something, we will reap good fruit from it. And if we do something that is honorable to God, he honors our obedience and faith in him.

In his many struggles, King David cried out to God for help and God heard his prayer. That moment in Buffalo, NY, back in 2003, was a celebratory milestone that had begun in 1988, when my family and I emigrated to the U.S from Brazil. The wait was long, but the yield was priceless.

Give that difficult task to the Lord and trust in his judgement.

Luska Natali is a native of Brazil who is passionate about God, her family, learning new languages (she fluently speaks three), and meeting people.

© 2020 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.