The Waiting Game

This is poignant. Very. When it comes to the subject of waiting, I feel like an expert on the subject right now. I am waiting on my career to get going, I am waiting on our home, I am waiting on our child to be born, I am waiting on a new job for my husband... these are biggies. And no, I don't always ace the tests on not worrying and being productive and patient during this time. There are days of strong spiritual attack, and days that I simply falter and do not live as fully out of His word as I did the day before. But the gorgeous thing about being in "life limbo" is that God reveals himself, powerfully, to you during these days. Not everything you ask for happens. As long as you are watching for Him, and expecting His presence in a powerful way, the music is still being made; the magic and the majesty still happens. A flower does not simply explode in to a blooming fruit- there are stages, and each one is necessary. Even the flower has to wait.

The time of waiting, in my experience (and it has certainly been no different here) is when God really unfolds some lessons for you. Some of these lessons are encouraging and sweet, while others have a sharp twinge and an embrace- but all of them are life changing. He even plays with you a little, dangling things you need or want in front of you and making you understand how very tiny and small you are... but also, how loved and cherished you are. I know I am loved! As busy as God is, He is still working miracles in my every day life- my pregnancy, even being able to afford our next home- do I have to wait on them still? Yes. But they are HAPPENING. So much of the time, we begin to feel as if waiting equals failure, as if it is doomed, since it is not all flying together and happening overnight. No, not everything you try for succeeds, but if God's will is in it, it's going to happen.

This is the time of our lives we humans hate- but God adores it. This is the time He bends us, shapes us and weaves us in to precisely what He wants us to be.

The reason waiting is an unsure and unsteady time for us is because we dislike being in the unknown. (Cause we know a great deal about what, exactly? Silly peoples.) We love being in the loop, being able to plan and being able to compensate for things. We are not fans of rolling with the punches- even if we become accustomed to it. If we are to follow God completely and totally, with all of our heart and mind, than this is the time we have to pay special attention to. If God has not given something, then the reason is simply because it is not in His time. You're not ready. Some unforseen thing is standing in the way. Someone else involved isn't ready...the periods of waiting in our life must be directed in such a way that we begin to understand that His timing is far more important than our timing. What waiting teaches us is that our wants and wishes are not as important as His overall plan, and they simply never will be. The period of waiting, when we pay attention the lessons placed before us, is when God gets nitty- gritty and develops our character and our story line and we must patiently and productively wait, as not to lose sight of the end goal. We are but one character in a novel filled with thousands of others, and if we do not act accordingly, our place in the story diminishes. We become one of those lame characters that makes poor decisions and gets killed off early. And who wants to be that guy? I want to see how it ends.

If you know how to wait well, then you also know how to be blessed well, all the while maintaining your spirit of humility. Waiting well means being selfless, non obsessive, relaxed- sure of your faith in Him... it is this beautiful area between moving on and hanging on where magic happens in your soul. You continue to pray for what you are waiting for, but you feel no anxiety for it- you feel no urgency, no terror- because it is in this time that God really comes through. This is when he works all the "little" miracles that boost your faith and bring joy to your heart. Look for them, I promise you He is doing them- everyday! It is during the periods of waiting that you realize God really does have your back, that He really does keep his promises and all of His word is solid ground to stand on. Because you are in this spirit, you do well by your blessing when the time finally comes. Instead of receiving what you asked for and thinking, "it's about time" you say, "Lord, thank you- show me how to use this wisely. What is your will in this, what do you want me to do with it, for you?"

You are better for the waiting- always. Rejoice in the time between what you need and what you want, between the questions and the answers that you are seeking. They are coming, they are being sent and being explained, slowly, day by day. Where the glory is, is in His timing and His story. No amount if instant gratification is better than where He can take you.