In preparation for an upcoming speaking engagement, I revisited a nearly two-year old blog post I wrote called “The Wait.” Considering my topic – “The Waiting Room” – I was sure there were some previous insights from which I could pull. Woowee, boy did I minister to myself! Not only was I blessed by former words of wisdom, I uncovered some new insights that I’d like to share with you. Wanna hear it, here it goes! (If you’ve never watched the ’90s show “In Living Color,” disregard that last sentence.)

No matter what phase of life we’re in or what our circumstances are, we are all in some type of waiting season. And I think if there’s one universal thing we’re waiting for now, it’s certainly for this pandemic to be over. Trust me I get it. 

I also get, after having some major waiting seasons, that God can do some miraculous things in the wait. If we let Him. Any time you’re in a waiting season, remember how you wait is just as important as attaining that thing you desire. Let me tell you why.

Waiting Produces Clarity 

Oftentimes when we wait, we have to slow down or come to a complete halt. That decrease in speed or pause gives us an opportunity to see and hear things more clearly. Sometimes you uncover things you hadn’t seen before. It’s sort of like driving versus walking in your neighborhood. When you are walking you may say something like “Wow, I drive by this every day, I never noticed that before!” That’s the type of clarity you can gain in your wait. Sometimes you may even discover that thing you thought you wanted isn’t as desirable up close as it was from further away.

Waiting Builds You and Your Faith

Because of my impatient nature, I remember in past waiting seasons I would have temper tantrums. These weren’t the type of toddler tantrums that were noticeable to the outside world. They were internal; but I saw them and they were ugly. Upon investing in personal development and my relationship with God, I found that as I grew, my perspective started to shift. I started to trust God more instead of my own ability to make things happen. I started to relax and let God take control. Focusing only on those things that I could control gave room for God to work. Once I got on the other side of that wait – whether I got what I wanted or not – I could see where God had moved. Whether he gave wisdom or provision, in either case, He provided. That’s what built my faith.

Full transparency, I have not arrived. I still get impatient and the tantrums are tempting, trust me. But now I know how to avoid them quicker and from whence cometh my help! 

Waiting Creates Value

Have you ever noticed the longer you wait on something, the more you cherish and appreciate it when you have it? God knows that and he also knows our fickle hearts. That’s one of the things I adore about God’s sovereignty. He knows exactly how long we need to wait on something in order for us to know that 1) It was He who provided and 2) that it is of tremendous value.

Waiting Reveals Your Heart

One of the most powerful things that waiting seasons provide is the opportunity for us to look within. Several years ago when I was going through a challenging season, I decided to do a “journal review.” I wanted to figure out how I ended up in this undesirable place in which I found myself. That hindsight provided wisdom, but it also revealed some not so pretty things in my heart that I needed to work through. The process was so transformational, I published a book filled with those journal entries and the insights I gained from them. 

The most significant thing that I gained from that waiting season though, was the connection with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I realized how disconnected I had become from Him and that waiting season provided an opportunity for me to realign my heart with His. 

I know waiting seasons aren’t fun or easy. And I don’t believe that any of us will ever have a desire to wait. One thing I know is that ultimately we want the benefits of the wait. We desire the clarity, the growth, the elevated perspective and the peace that’s on the other side of it. Therefore, be encouraged, my friend. Know that all of that is coming – even if it looks far different from what we imagined. His plans are much better than ours.

If you’re in a waiting season right now, I encourage you to join me for a powerful conversation series entitled “The Waiting Room.” I’ll specifically be addressing our “feelings in the wait.” Visit this link to get more details and to register.