Raise your hand if you find waiting difficult. A slow moving line at the store, the person in the car ahead of you at Starbucks that must be ordering for the very first time, or the doctor’s appointment that got started 73 minutes and 16 seconds after you checked in. You know the feeling these scenarios prompt, right? Go ahead, my hand is raised, feel free to join me in this moment of honesty. It feels good, and truly, I could use some candid company.

​

Waiting is tough. It takes practice, it takes trust, and it takes patience to wait well. Most of the time when we wait, we start to fuss and whine and doubt. We complain and grumble until we become weary. When we don’t wait well, it can cause us to question God and to question ourselves. It seems frustrating in retrospect to have had a hard time waiting, but the emotional roller coaster that waiting causes is no joke.

​

In my 25+ plus years of living the Christian life, I have spent a lot of good time waiting for the Lord’s plan, waiting for His perfect answer, or waiting to know the next step. Sometimes, waiting is helpful and is a relief, but other times, it can feel excruciating. I keep in mind that I am still the clay and He is still the Potter. What we can find hope in is that our waiting is not in vain. God is working, and He is drawing us nearer to Him as we wait. With this recognition, I can then let out a sigh, or a cry, and put my trust fully back in the Lord. It is in the seasons of waiting that we can get closer to God, deepen our faith, and learn to trust Him… if we can surrender.

​

I choose to surrender because although I am still learning how to wait well, there is one lesson I've learned: waiting for the Lord’s good plan is so much better than forcing my own agenda and suffering the consequences of arrogance, impatience, or lack of faith.

 

Waiting involves plenty of ups and downs. Waiting for a door to open, waiting for His plan to unfold, and waiting for that moment when it has all fallen into place and you get to lift up your hands in praise to your Rock with gratitude flowing from your lips. I look to His word to find guidance, peace, and His good wisdom. I do not have to wait with anxiety, fear or frustration.

 

 | “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” Psalm 37:7a

 

Thank you for hearing me, Lord. Thank you that I can rest and relax in You; that as I wait, I can be patient. I surrender.

​

Perhaps you are in a period of waiting. I encourage you to hang in there, to not give up, and to keep the faith. God has not forgotten you, and He has such good plans for you. Rest assured, you are waiting for God’s goodness and blessing. When you’re ready, surrender to the Lord. Rest in Him as He prepares behind the scenes what He has for you next. Never forget that you are in His hands, and close to His heart.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Author: Pamela Palmer

08/20/2018