Good morning beautiful,
What is the one thing that will drive you up the wall if you hear someone say while you are in your waiting season? I have a few that come to mind: “Just pray about it, in God’s perfect timing, it will happen, or you know the bible says it’s better to be single.“Now, I don’t believe that when people say these things, they come from a bad place. I think they are trying to encourage you to remain hopeful.
However, most don’t understand that even though millions of people pray for the same thing, each person’s journey is different. So, giving blanket statements like those I just described can often come off as degrading and leave that individual feeling shame about their disposition. Again, I don’t believe there is malicious intent. Still, singles or people in a waiting season may think that others are not empathizing with them but instead offering sympathy, which gives off the idea that “you pity me.”
Empathy is a subject that isn’t always understood, but I want to share one reason why I believe Jesus has mastered this skill. I believe God empathizes with you because He recognizes the vacancy in your heart. This is the same God in Genesis 2:18, saying, ” It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” He didn’t do this because he pitied Adam or thought that he was helpless on his own. He saw a need in His child and offered the right solution to resolve the issue.
You will experience many negative feelings along this journey and probably receive poor advice. However, to remain strong and steady this season, you must rely on God’s truth, not man’s interpretation.
Sincerely
Your Friend <3
A moment to reflect
The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.
Lamentations 3:25-26 KJV
No matter your age, race, gender, or socioeconomic status, we have all encountered a waiting period. It can be as simple as waiting in line at the grocery store or waiting next for the amusement park rides. Waiting is inevitable in today’s society, and for the most part, we all find it a pain.
It’s important to realize that the waiting period differs for each person. For example, recently, I went to Disney World, and we arrived at the park right when it opened. I immediately ran to the rides I wanted to get on, and it still required me to wait, but it wasn’t long. Then, as it got later in the day and more people arrived, the wait period was longer as I went to the next ride and the next. Then, as it neared the end of the day, I experienced the wait time becoming shorter.
My arrival time, time of day, and ride of choice determined my wait time. I couldn’t go to a random person in the park and assume that they experienced things precisely as I did because even though it was a known thing that you have to wait in lines, maybe someone was less patient than I was, or perhaps they were dealing with screaming children which made the stay more agonizing. Maybe they chose a ride that wasn’t a favorite to most people, and so it was a quick in and out. This is just an example to show that though there are similarities, outliers can affect that individual’s experience.
So, saying, “Pray about it, or it will happen in God’s timing,” is not as simple as we make it out to be. One thing we tend to miss is that the enemy will use anything to deter you off course–including your family members, friends, and other Christians. The enemy will twist God’s word or simple words of encouragement to stir up your anger and shame. This is why it’s so important to know, and I mean know, what God is telling you in this season of your life.
Waiting on God is not simply standing still and doing your normal day-to-day activities but instead finding your portion in God ( read Lamentations 3:24). This means having the understanding that whatever is meant for you to receive, all of it will be found in God.1
Jeremiah explains through lamentations 3:25-26 that he could not find hope until he realized that God was everything that he needed.2 Often, within the Christian community, we assume that because we pray to God, He will answer us quickly, and the opposite of that is if he doesn’t answer quickly, then “we (ourselves)” must not have done something right. We operate from two extreme views of God, and both take us away from truly knowing and understanding who He is. We must strive to be like Jeremiah, who chose to see God in the good and the bad.
The truth is that God wants us to wait for Him, and I believe part of that reason is because time strengthens relationships. During the process, God wants to connect with us. Take, for example, Adam in the Garden of Eden. Adam wasn’t waiting on purpose for a spouse, but Adam was so intuned to God and walked closely with Him that God identified the need before Adam did.
We may start this journey by praying for a spouse, but God knows exactly what you need in a partner and vice versa. We must become a daughter in Christ and understand what our Father in Heaven has planned for us. When you choose to see God as your portion, meaning everything you need is found in Him, God will see you through, and your hope won’t run dry. You’ll choose to stay in the ring because then you’ll know you serve a God who won’t ever fail you.
Daily Challenge
We are stronger together, and each of you has a story about your waiting season. One day, it will help encourage someone going through something similar, and though your details may differ from the next, it still gives an account of what God can do.
I encourage you to journal your experiences, and if you are open to sharing, feel free to place your response in the comment section, or you can post it on our Facebook page.
- Blue Letter Bible, ” David Guzik: Study guide for Lamentations 3,” accessed October 10, 2023, https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/guzik_david/study-guide/lamentations/lamentations-3.cfm?a=800025
↩︎ - Blue Letter Bible, ” David Guzik: Study guide for Lamentations 3,” accessed October 10, 2023, https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/guzik_david/study-guide/lamentations/lamentations-3.cfm?a=800025
↩︎
