“Waiting is not mere empty hoping. It has the inner certainty of reaching the goal."
Waiting. It's something we do so often, yet it something we may never truly master! I see it in the eyes of my little brother as he excitedly counts down the days until his birthday. I see it in the restless pacing of a mother as she earnestly looks for the return of her child to their hospital room. I see it in the students facing midterms, wearily pushing through to the end of the semester. I see it in myself as I eagerly anticipate the changes this next year will bring.
Whether we are waiting for a hot pan of cookies to cool or waiting on a life-altering change, the principle is the same. We live in a culture where nobody likes to wait. We want everything at a click of a button, a swipe of a credit card, or a tap on our phone screens. Of course, some seasons of life bring periods of waiting that are especially difficult. I must admit, I certainly feel like I'm in the midst of one of those seasons! The gorgeous diamond on my finger serves as a gentle reminder that I am waiting for the day when I can call my fiancé my husband. The clank of my house key nudges me to look for an apartment in the new year. The tap of my badge as I clock in and out each day makes me wonder how many more days I have to work at the hospital I have become so comfortable at...
Those who do not hope cannot wait; but if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. -Charles Spurgeon
Learning to wait is a lesson I know I will never fully come to terms with. Yet through the years I have come to understand some truths about waiting that make it just a little bit easier. If I had to pinpoint one thing that has helped me most, it is the principle that waiting is NOT passive. When we are in the hardest seasons of waiting, it is then that we must intensely press ourselves into action. That doesn't always mean trying to rush the time of waiting; instead, it means we must be intentionally using our times of waiting as opportunities.
I love Brendan, and that means that I want to be the very best wife for him! Still, just because I make a formal declaration of my love for him doesn't mean my character is going to change the moment I become his. I don't belittle the gravity of the vows we will make at all when I say that I know this isn't going to happen overnight. In this time of waiting, I can intentionally and purposefully pursue Brendan and build our relationship so we can start our marriage out on a strong foundation. This time of waiting, as painful as it may be in the moment, should be seen as an opportunity for growth.
Actively waiting is difficult. It takes hard work, intentionality and diligence. Yet it is so, so rewarding! Pushing towards the goal and not settling for less than the very best plans that God has for you results in blessings you never could have dreamed of. I know that when I look into Brendan's eyes and see a genuine love I never could have imagined possible, it is worth every bit of fearful wondering if I would ever find "the one!" I know that when Brendan knelt down and asked me to be his wife, it was worth every night of loneliness and bitter tears shed over relationships broken. I know that on my wedding day when Brendan turns to see me in my dress for the first time, it will be worth all the stress and anticipation of our wedding day. The waiting makes the fulfilment of expectations and dreams so much righter, richer, and rewarding. It doesn't take away from the painfulness of the "now," but it does make the present a little easier to bear.
"Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him." Isaiah 30:18
When we actively wait, we believe that there is a purpose for the time we are in. We exercise patience and positivity as we press into the tasks that need to be accomplished right now. Waiting means loving those around us and putting their interests before our own as we seek out opportunities in the present. It means thanking God for the blessings He has given us, resting in the assurance that He will provide WHAT we need WHEN we need it. His wisdom is so far beyond ours; His dreams make ours look like shadows!
"But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31
God promises to give us all the strength we need to get us through every season of waiting He brings into our lives. We won't just stumble through life with a despondent sense of expectancy: we will RUN with unimaginable strength, leaning in on God's grace and soaring on the wings of hopeful expectation. What a precious, precious promise this is! I pray you are all encouraged as you wait for whatever glorious future God has in store for you!
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