I’m learning that a lot of life is spent in the waiting room. I’m also learning that I don’t want life to feel ‘on hold’ until the thing we are waiting for arrives, because even when the specific thing happens or arrives, there will be more waiting unfolding. The feeling of ‘arrived’ really doesn’t last that long!
My world right now sees a lot of waiting: waiting for clarity, waiting for work situations, waiting for a house move, waiting for global situations. Waiting is also a season I see in those around me. To be honest, I’m really not a fan! It’s not comfortable.
I’m also learning that waiting isn’t all bad. Waiting can build excitement and appreciation. Lent is a period of waiting – going without something can definitely bring huge appreciation – delighting in chocolate on Easter Day! Waiting for birthdays as a child is SO exciting.
I guess the difference is the element of control or choice. You choose to give up something for Lent and there is a fixed date when a birthday will arrive. When waiting for a birthday as a child there is an end date. Being privileged as a child to know the deep love of my parents, I had deep reason to believe that they would want to celebrate my birthday with me and for it to be good.
But what if we don’t know the ‘end point’ and / or we feel out of ‘control’?
I’m reminded of a picture of what it means to ‘wait well’. It is a picture of a windmill – the windmill is firmly fixed to the ground and the fans are turning.
I don’t know how things have been for you, but for me, the only stable thing though this whole pandemic has been God’s faithfulness, His promises, His peace. Everything else has changed – He is my only firm foundation.
So what do the turning fans of the windmill represent? What is the action in the waiting?
–Hunt for truth
I took some time to consider ‘What is true about my identity?’ I remembered that I am a deeply loved daughter of the King. I was bold and shared all my fears with God. I simply took a piece of A4 paper and on the left-hand side I wrote my fears. They all started with ‘What if…’. Then on the right hand side, in a different colour, I wrote the truth.
I took some time to consider ‘What is true about my identity?’ I remembered that I am a deeply loved daughter of the King. I was bold and shared all my fears with God. I simply took a piece of A4 paper and on the left-hand side I wrote my fears. They all started with ‘What if…’. Then on the right hand side, in a different colour, I wrote the truth.
–Hit pause
When I’m feeling time poor, my reaction is often to ‘pedal faster’ – to look at more houses, research more mortgage options, update spreadsheets (who doesn’t love a good spread sheet ;-)). The outcome of this was me being stirred up into more of a frenzy. I responded to God’s invitation to ‘stop and look at Him’. When this happens, we refocus. We allow God to do what only God can do. We become inquisitive asking God ‘What are you showing me here?’
–Keep a thankful heart
It’s so easy to see a gap rather than to see everything that is already an incredible blessing in our lives. Be proactive in being thankful. Maybe this might mean verbalising something you appreciate about those around you, or thanking someone in a shop doing a great job. Maybe it’s writing things down in a journal, or taking a walk and noticing new things – thanking God for those things.
It’s so easy to see a gap rather than to see everything that is already an incredible blessing in our lives. Be proactive in being thankful. Maybe this might mean verbalising something you appreciate about those around you, or thanking someone in a shop doing a great job. Maybe it’s writing things down in a journal, or taking a walk and noticing new things – thanking God for those things.
-What’s your role?
What is it you can do and what are you leaving with God? For me this might mean looking at Right Move twice a day, being open and seeing properties. The rest is all God’s job. This way of thinking prevents the house move from consuming me (which it definitely has done at times). At every junctions and decision, He has promised to help me. I can’t see the whole picture, but He is revealing the next step in a way that keeps me trusting Him.
What is it you can do and what are you leaving with God? For me this might mean looking at Right Move twice a day, being open and seeing properties. The rest is all God’s job. This way of thinking prevents the house move from consuming me (which it definitely has done at times). At every junctions and decision, He has promised to help me. I can’t see the whole picture, but He is revealing the next step in a way that keeps me trusting Him.
I would love to have ended this with ‘and now we are happily in our now home’… or would I? On one level yes, but also I want to share the gold that is found in the waiting (and boy do we have a lot of ‘gold finding opportunities’ right now!) So what have I learnt about waiting well? To keep rooted to Jesus, to hunt for truth, to hit pause and to keep a thankful heart. To learn to define what is my role and what is God’s role.
Keep dreaming, keep being expectant – I’m excited to look back on this season in maybe two years and see how my faith has been made stronger, and how that might be used to be a blessing to others on this journey.
