The Work in the Waiting
I’ve watched my fair share of Hallmark movies. And more than one where the plot revolved around a guy and girl stuck in an elevator on Christmas Eve. Of course, there was mistletoe and of course the guy was NOT a creep, but an attractive businessman who’s conveniently single…..
Gonna be honest here, if I were stuck in an elevator with a handsome guy, I probably wouldn’t be in a romantic mood! Now, if he can find us a way out as quickly as possible, and granted he is actually single, that mood could change, but anywayyys….I still prefer the stairs over the elevator any day of the week.
We often think the waiting is a season of feeling stuck. We aren’t seeing breakthrough. Nothing is changing. We don’t seem to be moving forward….but the thing about God is He is always working in the in-between. It’s in the mundane moments that God can shape us in exponential ways.
Look at the way God designed life to work and you will find that the waiting is inescapable and essential. Good things can’t grow overnight. You plant, water, watch and wait. It’s inevitable. It’s beautiful. We learn to love and value the little seeds that would not have had the chance to grow in us if we had been handed what we wanted right away.
It’s in the mundane moments that God can shape us in exponential ways.
The waiting was designed to lead us to a place where we desire Him above all. Where we see that The One we are waiting on is far greater than the thing we are waiting for.
King David expressed this same thought:
The one thing I ask of the Lord—the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. Psalm 27:14 (NLT)
Above all the things David had requested, all the success he obtained, He knew that pursuing God’s heart, enjoying deep friendship with Him, was life’s greatest reward. He knew this from a young age, tending his Father’s sheep. Whatever he was given he was faithful with. He understood that God’s greatest purpose for him, whether as a king or shepherd, was to love God in and through the gifts and assignments God gave him.
We will always be waiting for something. Even when a prayer is answered and a desire is fulfilled, there will be more miracles to contend for and more prayers to pray…
The most significant thing happening in the waiting is the deep work God is doing in your heart as He draws you closer to His. This beautiful exchange where the seeking, stillness and obedience birthed in the secret place, lead to becoming who He created you to be. This work is shaping how you see Him. And the more you see Him, the more the person He sees in you starts to come alive. The more you pursue His heart, the more you will understand this, just as David did.
You’re not stuck, you’re seen.
Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love. Psalm 33:18 (ESV)
You’re not lost, you’re leaning.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
You will have questions and doubts at times, and that’s okay, bring them before the Lord. Keep clinging to the rock and clarity will come.
Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love. Psalm 33:18
Keep trusting, asking, seeking and knocking. Love Him and Let Him dig deep. You will find that you’re not behind, you’re perfectly positioned. You’re where you were always meant to be, waiting on Him.
recommended resources
what’s new on the gram…
