Waiting
Waiting is a verb.
Waiting, in other words, means Take Action!
live, prepare, pursue, learn, thank, experience, rest, trust, enjoy
Enjoy where you are right now, that’s the best advice I can give about waiting.
I felt God teach me that several years ago. Too often we become consumed—borderline obsessed—with the future, with the “thing” on the other side of waiting. But the reality is that by the time you acquire that “thing,” you’re already waiting for the next “thing.” If not tended to cautiously, it can shove us in a vicious cycle of waiting and never being satisfied.
Proverbs 31:25b (NLT) makes a healthy point about the waiting process: “she laughs without fear of the future”
Laughter insinuates enjoyment. This woman is prepared for her future yet never consumed by it. She keeps her optimism intact, knowing that all she has is today.
I WANT TO BE THAT WOMAN.
LIVE
Never stop living just because you’re waiting for something incredible to happen. Still enjoy life. You can never get time back; you can only reap time you’ve sown. Create positive memories by investing in rich relationships, staying proactive in reaching personal goals, and trying new things outside your comfort zone.
PREPARE
I’m thankful I did all I could to prepare for the things I was waiting for in certain seasons of life. If you want to form a healthy, romantic relationship or get married some day, then prepare for it. Don’t sulk. Read books, ask questions, get advice, pursue God’s love. If you want a successful career, then prepare for it. Take a class, build your skills, find a mentor, channel your ambition into discipline. Do whatever you can to prepare for what’s coming. If anything, it’ll enrich that “thing” you’re waiting for when it actually does happen.
PURSUE
Idle waiting is complacency. Pursue the things you want by first pursuing what God wants. He strategically places desires in your heart, knowing you bring something unique to the task at hand. Listen quietly in His presence and ask Him to show you what the next step is. He loves to help. And in pursuing God, the rest pursues you (Matthew 6:33).
LEARN
Keep a teachable heart. Chances are, like me, you don’t have it all figured out. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, even if it’s uncomfortable. When I purposed to ask couples for their best relationship advice given their longevity, I felt awkward. Now, after doing that for so long, it’s one of my favorite questions to ask. I’ve learned a lot by the answers. Every area of life requires learning. If your heart is hungry to learn, then regret can be minimal. As my mom says, “Learning is free”
…unless you’re in college 😐
THANK
One of the years I was waiting for something—anything—to happen, I decided to keep a gratitude journal. Every night I would write down three things I was thankful for, even if it was ketchup on my hotdog. The more I did that, the more prominent my gratitude was. Reflecting on that year of thankfulness showed me that amazing things were happening in my life right and left. But without that journal I may have forgotten those things or, worse, overlooked them. Be thankful for where you are and what you have in life right now, even if it seems simple or pathetic in the beginning. I bet your perspective will change by the end.
EXPEREINCE
Think for a moment about the type of experiences you would like to have … Me? I’d like to experience Europe, good food, romance, the beach, a flexible work schedule, and Christmas in February. All of these things are attainable. In the dream stage, they’re …dreams (profound). But shifting into the experience stage means I did something to get there. I researched flights and hotels, I found a recipe and bought high quality ingredients, I planned a special date with my husband, I applied for a new job, I busted some decor out and put the Grinch on. Experiences take place even in the planning stage, which is part of the fun. Whatever you’re daydreaming about, shift gears and put it in R: Reality.
REST
I believe wholeheartedly that sometimes what we’re waiting for doesn’t occur when we want because we’re too exhausted to savor it. I know this has been true for me in the past. Burnout can signal that you’re losing yourself—the essence of who you are and what you delight in. That can happen from depression, disappointment, overworking, insomnia, and a million other things. But Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NLT). Put emphasis on come.to.me. We have to pause. We have to take a breath. We have to acknowledge what we feel, and where we’re at internally. Only after that can we rest in the process of waiting.
TRUST
And then God whispered, “Do you trust Me?” I genuinely believe I heard those words in my Spirit. That transformed how I continued to wait. When I felt myself getting angry, I repeated it back to myself: “Do you trust Me?” In reply I would say, “I trust You, God.” There’s a lot we don’t understand. I’ve learned that if a door of opportunity closes, then it’s a good thing. God will close what’s mediocre, maybe even what’s good. But He will never close the door of what’s best. I’ve learned to trust that if one thing doesn’t work out, then something else even better is around the corner. There’s great protection in that attitude. We can’t see the future, but God does, which is why we have to align our trust in God with where our hope is.
ENJOY
Just as I said before, enjoy where you are right now. We attract the things we’re waiting for by having a lively attitude. Enjoyment has a way of opening our hearts. I’ve probably needed to tell myself a thousand times to have an open heart. Sometimes to enjoy a season of life, we have to be okay with looking goofy. We will never be 100% perfect in anything, but we must find delight in the process of attempt. Put yourself out there. Have an open heart. Enjoy the process. YOLO (jk).
5 VERSE STUDY
The Lord alone is our radiant hope, and we trust in Him with all our hearts. His wrap-around presence will strengthen us. As we trust, we rejoice with an uncontained joy flowing from Yahweh! Let your love and steadfast kindness overshadow us continually, for we trust and we wait upon you!
Psalm 33:20-22 TPT
So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.
Isaiah 30:18 NLT
That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy. Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
Romans 8:24-28 MSG
Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.
Ecclesiastes 11:4 NLT
Wait and trust the Lord. Don’t be upset when others get rich or when someone else’s plans succeed. Don’t get angry. Don’t be upset; it only leads to trouble.
Psalm 37:7-8 NCV