Waiting

I don’t know if you are like me, but when it comes to waiting, I tend to be both black AND white.

Long lines and traffic jams are really difficult for me to wait on. Waiting an hour for a table at a restaurant with my kids is not my idea of a fun evening. A few days ago our power went out. I had no idea how long it would be until it came back on. That was not a fun thing to wait on!

However, birthdays and holidays are enjoyable for me to wait on! I love the anticipation of what is to come, sometimes more than the actual event itself. I love the days leading up to relaxing get away, because I remember what past experiences have done for my heart. It’s fun to look forward to something exciting!!

I enjoy a countdown to a big event. When my boys were younger, it seemed like we always had a calendar counting down the days to the next big thing!

I’ve been thinking about this recently and asking myself why is it both difficult and exciting for me to wait and here’s what I’ve concluded. I love to wait for things that are good or known and I’m really challenged to wait for things that are not good or unknown.

God is teaching me a lot right now. One way he is growing me is to learn to trust him IN the waiting. For a person who enjoys predictability, you can imagine how much I am being stretched. But waiting for the unknown has really grown my faith. If I already knew what my life would look like next year, then why would I need to trust the Lord with my today?

I wrestle with a lot of questions. What do you have for me God? Will you fulfill the desires of my heart? What does that look like for me? How long must I wait?

Yet, I’m learning to be thankful in the waiting. I know it’s now that God is refining me and growing me into the person He wants and needs me to be. Isn’t that after all what faith is? Believing in the things unseen and the hope of things yet to come.

I don’t know what the future holds for me. I know what I desire for my future and I certainly have goals and dreams, but it’s all still very unknown.

So for now I wait.

And while I do, I get to experience unexplainable peace about my tomorrow, because I know Jesus is in the waiting of my today.

What about you? Are you waiting for the next phase of life? Are you anticipating that promotion at work? Your next relationship? Are you wanting to have kids or excited for your kids to move out? Maybe you are waiting for the test results to come back. I don’t know where you are, but I believe that wherever you find yourself, you can be encouraged to know that He is Emmanuel, God with us, and He is in your waiting too.

Tami