I carefully sifted, whisked, stirred my ingredients, poured in the batter, and waited with bated breath to surprise my family with a homemade cake. After a while, I pulled the cake out, but instead of the decadent, fluffy dessert I imagined it to be, was this undercooked and still gooey mess!
I popped the cake pan, half-baked as it was, back into the oven for a few extra minutes. And when the oven timer finally chimed, I had a delicious, moist chocolate cake, living up to its name—The never-fail cake.
It remains a family favourite to this day!
Waiting, especially waiting patiently, is not my forte.
But the Lord, in His infinite wisdom, has taken me through and still takes me through seasons of waiting. Some of these seasons have been short; others are endless. In some seasons, there is a timeline to complete; in others, it almost seems as if time has stood still; nothing seems to be moving, and I have no idea where the finish line is.
Waiting and waiting endlessly can be wearying, tiring and discouraging!
But time again, the Bible reminds us it is good to wait on the Lord.
I’ve realised over several failed attempts that there is a reason why recipes call for a certain amount of cooking time, baking time, setting time, and resting time. Not only would the dish be tasteless, but in some cases, half-cooked food can be harmful and even fatal.
The same goes for us in our waiting seasons.
The oft-quoted Psalms 27. 14 reminds us, "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
This verse emphasises the absolute significance of trusting in perfect God's timing and sovereignty during times of waiting.
Waiting is not just about receiving the long-awaited answer but about becoming who God intends for us to become in and through the process of waiting.
Through the uncertain period, there are changes that are happening in us and around us. We are being transformed internally- strengthened, pruned, corrected, disciplined, discipled, sandpapered, and refined to be what the Master intends us to be.
And somehow, we receive a supernatural surge of strength to plod on, to wait, to hope. Isaiah reminds us, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31).
All of us who have been through seasons of waiting can unanimously vouch: We have come out of the tunnel different. We become receptive to His leading, willing enough to obey, humble enough to trust, confident enough to be hopeful, and faithful enough to believe that "He acts for those who wait for Him." (Isaiah 64.4)
Over the years, some of the things that I count on include:
Praying: Very often, a verse or passage in Scripture encourages or speaks to me. I hold onto that like my lifeline and quote that constantly in my prayers.
Writing it down: I write it down in my journal and mark it in my Bible. In absolute faith, I even leave space to fill in the date the prayer was/will be answered.
Choosing faith and trust: This bit is difficult for me, especially when God’s timeline has long overshot my calendar. I’m still learning to surrender and to trade my questions and fears for faith and trust. I have prayers that have not yet been answered or as how I imagined they would be. The blank space reminds me to continue to trust Him, even when I don’t understand!
Sharing: I’m blessed to have family and friends who believe with me and, share my faith, and encourage me in my waiting. I’ve also realised that sharing with others who are going through the same seasons of waiting is encouraging for all of us.
I pray that through our seasons of waiting, we are patient, confident, faith-filled, and transformed for the better!
"My soul, wait quietly for God, for my hope is from him." (Psalms 130:5)
May we remember that He is indeed the Lord who never fails us!
Photo by Ümit Bulut on Unsplash
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