I had a quick catch-up on life call with a dear friend of mine tonight and as usual, the conversation was uplifting and encouraging! I love calls like this because I am always given a spiritual boost and a reminder that our purpose is greater than ourselves! I don’t exactly know what to call the “season” of life I am currently living out other than using verbs like wait, restore, and grow. I purposefully used wait first because, if you are as impatient as I can be, you understand the weight (pun intended) of the word. Waiting on God can be tricky because the unknown is so relevant to the wait. What I mean is, while you are waiting, you almost find yourself in a constant “is this it Lord” state of mind. Or at least I do. I am questioning everything that presents itself as an option and taking it to God asking… “is this it?”. There are even times that I get tired of waiting and determine on my own that “this HAS to be it”. It’s in those moments that I am given a friendly reminder as to why the wait is so important. Here’s what I am currently learning about the wait.

Waiting is meant to have you question situations because God is using the wait to grow the relationship between you both! The wait has (me) going to Him when in prior seasons I would just dive right in and deal with the consequences later! I am learning that sometimes, faith requires a wait, and not all faith should just be sporadic. Trust me, sporadic faith is still something I pursue, I guess you could say, I am finding a new sense of maturity in the wait. If you wanted scripture to base this on, a good place to review would be to look back when God would have Moses approach the Pharaoh multiple times. How many times did Moses have to wait? Although we may desire something as serious as being released from bondage, God still works in the wait! It is in waiting seasons that we learn the true understanding of my favorite go-to verse, Romans 8:28. I imagine Moses knowing the power and authority God has to make things happen, yet not fully understanding why God continually hardened the heart of Pharaoh. However, Moses still believed He was (and is) a good God! Waiting teaches us that although God created humanity to have emotions, He is GREATER than any emotion He created. So, if we cling to feeling anxious, worried, concerned, confused, angry, and so on during a waiting season, we can lose sight of our good God. Instead clinging to scripture such as Romans 8:28, while we wait, reminds us that God will work out everything for good of those that love Him and are called to His purpose. (because He is good.) And while I may not always get the answers I want, I have to trust that His word is true and I choose to wait on Him.

As mentioned earlier, in my waiting, the last thing I want to do is become weary while waiting. Which, if we are totally honest with each other, it is soooooo easy to do. We find discouragement in waiting. It’s not okay to stay in discouragement, buuuuut, we also can’t deny its existence. Even more so, while we wait. Devotions, prayer, fasting, and worship are all vitally important and needed daily, but they carry the weight of the wait, while we wait. I strongly encourage anyone who is in the wait to please stay connected or get re-connected with God. This is the only way to wait well. I have found my most encouraging moments in unexpected places and God will stand on his word. Matthew 7:7 states: “7“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (NIV). While waiting, wait well. Continue serving God through serving others. Ask God to give you creative ways to do this and just watch what He will do through you!

Prayer: God, thank you for the wait. Thank you for loving us enough to teach us lessons while we wait. Thank you for not leaving us to ponder our feelings, but instead, you always provide many ways for us to stay connected to you. God I ask that whoever is reading this and needs help waiting, that you will provide their strength to endure it. I ask that you would show up in unexpected ways for them and that you would use them in unexpected ways for others! God I ask that your spirit would continue to lead and guide anyone in the wait. I thank you for everything that you have planned, that we can not yet see. Jesus we trust and belive in you and we stand on your name while we wait. Amen.