It is not easy to wait, especially when things take longer than we had imagined. The world portrays waiting as a waste of time, and it teaches us many strategies to avoid this phase. I
I always plan to make the best use of waiting time in my daily routine. I carry a book in my bag so that I can read while waiting at the bus stop or the railway station. If I do not get a window seat while traveling, then books keep me company.
But there are also days when I forget to carry a book and end up gazing around while waiting for my transport. I would feel guilty for wasting that waiting time. This is just an example of how I deal with waiting in the daily rhythm of my life.
Waiting is an indispensable part of the spiritual journey. We know of Biblical characters who waited on the Lord for long years yet kept their faith alive. There is a direct connection between faith and the act of waiting. The more we wait, the more our faith is tested.
I can remember many instances when the Lord kept me waiting, especially the times that felt uncertain and never-ending. A career break I took recently has lasted more than a year now. When I quit my job to look for a research opportunity, I never thought I would be waiting so long. I believed another opportunity would come my way soon, but I’m still waiting after having knocked on several doors.
Although I knew God was in control of my life and that I was holding firmly to His promises, I still couldn’t bear the weight of my emotions. During the waiting season, I went through:
I felt all these emotions like a heavy weight settling within my spirit. The heaviness was constantly weighing me down. Carrying this weight felt exhausting.
While I was struggling to process this burden, I could feel hope still lingering around the corner. I realised that I had failed to notice God trying to communicate His loving presence through His words.
When I paused and meditated deeply on His words, I could see God reminding me of multiple incidents in which the waiting season had occurred with a specific purpose. Sometimes waiting was a redirection to concentrate on precious moments that needed my attention. Even now, as I am waiting for my next opportunity, I know God has given me this time to focus on my child and family.
I know the Lord has made me pause for a reason, and I started trusting His guidance. Here are a few things that helped me strengthen my faith during the waiting season:
The burden of waiting was something that I was carrying unknowingly when God’s word says, “Cast your burden upon the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never allow the righteous to be shaken" (Psalms 55:22). The invisible emotional load of waiting is real, but the Lord is calling us to cast that burden in His presence. For the One who carries us will also carry our burdens.
If you are in a waiting season, remember that it can be a significant phase of your life when you are called to experience faith and rest in the assurance of God’s promises.
Dwelling amidst a world that rushes with productivity timelines, the waiting season might feel lonely and painful. As God’s children, we are asked to honour this season as a part of His divine plan. I
It is in this phase that God builds us—our hope and future. His words gently remind us that “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). I have learnt to embrace the waiting season with joy and hope that fills me with abundant peace.
Photo by Artem Maltsev on Unsplash
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