I’ve stared at my phone, thinking I could will it to ring.
I’ve wondered if my friend was ever going to understand what I meant to say.
I’ve spent years trying to get pregnant only to realize that wasn’t God’s plan for us.
I’ve journeyed through two adoption processes full of anticipation, and waited unsuccessfully for others that never worked out.
Waiting has been a theme in my life – and I’m guessing you’re no stranger to waiting either. I’ve waited and gotten something better than I anticipated. I’ve waited and what I hoped for never came.
Regardless of the outcome, God works in the wait. <<Click to Tweet
Waiting is hard, yet it is something we all do. Every day, many times a day, really.
We wait for lights to turn green. We wait for people to return calls and extend invitations. We wait for the mail to be delivered. We wait for dinner to be ready and bedtime to arrive. We wait for the next season and the next adventure. We wait for babies to be born, job promotions to come, sickness to pass, people to understand us, the necessary finances to materialize.
We wait.
Waiting is a theme in the process of God making me a momma. <<Click to Tweet
My husband and I tried for two years to become pregnant. The waiting broke my heart, but I have since learned I didn’t approach that season in the way God intended.
I waited for a positive pregnancy test like I was wasting my time, yet God was busy orchestrating an adoption story. We held our daughter in our arms seven months after we stopped trying to get pregnant. But in those years of trying, I didn’t draw near to God or seek out truth in the moment.
I didn’t worship and live while I waited. Waiting consumed me. God has since taught me about purpose in waiting.
While waiting, God gives us strength and allows us to keep walking while not growing tired (Isaiah 40:30-31). We have a chance to draw near to God and depend on him for answers, resolutions, and plans. Waiting allows us to deepen our faith, believing God is moving even when we don’t see any signs.
My husband and I were ready for a third adoption – 2 ½ years ago. We’ve waited to expand our family, but it hasn’t worked out. We’ve waited for paperwork and social workers that only disappointed us.
And we’re still waiting. But this wait is different.
I believe this process that has yet to lead to a third child really is important in ways that deeply changed – and will continue to change – my family. Loosening my grip, I’ve realized letting go is freeing. It’s a lesson I needed to learn in the wait.
In the devotional 31 Days to Coming Alive, author Jenn Hand reminded me how waiting is always present and an active part of our faith journey. “… as believers, we are ultimately in the waiting. We are waiting for the fulfillment of the promise of heaven. We are in the here-and-now, created with restless pangs of longing for the promise-yet-not-experienced.”
We are sanctified and perfected in the waiting.
We can serve others and bring glory to God even while we wait.
The light will turn green. Your phone will ring. The invitation will come. Dinner will be marinated and baked. It will be time for rest. Spring always comes. New life abounds. Healing comes. God provides exactly what you need.
We do not wait in vain.
I have no doubt spending an eternity with our Creator will be worth the wait too. Until then, let’s not waste time mourning our wait. Let’s live, embracing the here-and-now, knowing waiting is an active part of life - God works in the wait.
What are you waiting for? How can you live fully today anyway?
Kristin believes in seeking God as the author of every story. You’ll quickly learn her favorite story to tell is how God created her family through adoption after a hard season of infertility. God continues to surprise her – in the best kind of way – with all the ways her life is nothing like she expected. She lives in Murray, Ky., with her husband, Greg, and two kids – Cate and Ben. She never leaves home without her iPhone, which reminds her where she’s supposed to be going, holds many notes documenting her ideas, and helps her document life. Connect with Kristin on