Perhaps you – like most all of us – are waiting for something. Be it a job, direction, a home, etc. I believe I’ve shared before waiting is not my favorite thing. It requires patience and pause, and being the red-blooded American that I am, I want to go at life full throttle. But what if I could share a new and fresh perspective on waiting?
I’ve always considered one’s perspective a powerful thing, it can quite literally change your life – whether or not circumstances change. Recently, I read an incredible statement from some random person: I find such peace in the waiting. I couldn’t believe my eyes. My impatient heart has always resisted waiting, and the old adage “waiting isn’t punishment” might have been written with me in mind. Not that I really think waiting is punishment, just I’m eager to press on to what’s next.
So if you, like me, could use a fresh perspective on waiting, keep reading. This has given me such a breath of fresh air! It has literally given me a new enthusiasm for where I am, knowing full well that all that has changed in my reality is how I think, which has led to a blessed change in attitude.
Learning to Love Waiting
As mentioned above, I read where someone was sharing their thoughts on something, and she wrapped it up by saying, we’ll have to wait and see where this goes. Then she added one last statement: but I love the waiting, because that’s where the growing happens.
Now I’ll be the first to tell you that we should always keeping growing and working to become the best version of ourselves. But learning to love waiting? That’s not something I had considered. I’m always trying to learn how to live with it, to work around it, not get discouraged by it. What about you?
But as I considered the idea of learning to love it, a fresh perspective on waiting has seemed to be blooming. I’ve realized that while we may be waiting in one area, God has work to be done in others. And perhaps that’s why we have to wait in some, to force us into action in areas we may not choose on our own.
So instead of resisting progress in other areas, I’ve been able to sincerely thank God for working where He has me waiting and I’ve stepped forward on some other things. Not that I’ve been meaning to hold back, just perhaps my focus isn’t necessary on where I’m waiting. True, I can still pray about them and hope for this and that, but lean in better on where God’s direction is leading me.
And as I wait, I hope! My attitude is truly far better, less downhearted. Not that I was moping around, just felt that no progress was being made. But then when I considered it was perhaps because I needed to be making progress in other areas, I have a new satisfaction and enthusiasm! Isn’t God so kind to direct us and lead us?
Praying for Patience
I’m sure you’ve heard, be careful praying for patience, because the best way to develop it is by going through trials and difficult situations. So in essence, in order to develop it, you may bring those struggles on yourself.
But while that may be a way patience is developed, I can’t help but think that’s a very depressing way to look at it. What kind of God do we serve? Not one waiting to punish us. So I have taken to praying to have a patient heart and lean in to where He needs me. And do you know what the result of that seems to be? Peaceful patience in the waiting and direction on where to work in the meantime.
I can’t help but wonder if that’s why we have to wait on some things in life, to help us move forward on other things that we have been avoiding or not as eager to work on. Things we perceive as thankless or less desirable than what we are waiting on.
But what if we discovered that while we patiently work where are re-directed, so to speak, we discovered that the dream that we are waiting on was unfolding even more incredibly and beautifully than we dared hope and dream? Because that’s how our God works. When we give Him our all, no good thing does He withhold!
Trusting God’s Timing
Do you trust God? I would think we would all race to agree that we do. So why is waiting so hard? Perhaps the instant gratification society that we live in has us conditioned to be highly impatient. Waiting on anything, be it a delivery or food, is seen as bad or negatory. But let’s get real, it seems like we can basically look at society and flip it’s perception 180 degrees and we have what’s actually good. Might be worth considering if this is yet another instance of that.
Let’s change the whole script and consider a fresh perspective on waiting: what do we gain in the waiting?
I’ve always thought that waiting grows your faith. You can’t grow faith if everything is right in front of you, thus the “absence of things not seen.” You have the opportunity to grow your trust in God too, trust His direction and follow His lead.
But let’s take it so much further – perhaps trusting God’s timing includes both things now and to come? Stay with me. Things to come is pretty obvious, they are the things we are waiting on and hoping for. But what about the things right in front of us, the things we might not choose when contrasted with what we want? We must remember, life isn’t about what we want. But ideally, as we grow closer to God, learning how to be patient in the waiting, we can figure out what He wants.
Thank God for His peace in the waiting and for His direction where He needs you in other areas. Waiting can be a beautiful thing when we have the right perspective!
Truly Blooming Where God Has You
Perhaps what we’re waiting for isn’t here because He needs us to take a bit more action where He currently has us. So consider that, ask for His direction, and follow His lead. God is so good, if we will wholeheartedly seek Him, He will direct us every step of the way. But it requires our willingness to knock on doors and take risks. And when we do this, we can be sure He will give us clear direction – to either keep progressing or change course altogether.
So don’t hold back. We are given skills and God created us to serve others and to do the work He set before us. Waiting on this and that somehow becomes a more precious thing when we realize we are working for God in anticipation of the hopes and dreams He has given us!
So here’s to a new year and a fresh perspective on waiting! May God inspire you, bless you with patience and give you direction!
Until Next Time!
Hope.
PS. Keep reading: https://www.theamericanlady.com/2025/01/08/where-to-begin/