I came across this quote while reading a book by author Robin Jones Gunn last week. Yes, I underlined it, thinking, “This will be a great quote for a future blog post.”
Today’s the day.
We’ve all waited for something … counted out the seconds, minutes, hours … days, weeks, months … and rejoiced when the waiting was over and what we longed for (or who we longed for ) was finally ours.
But did you take the time to notice the difference between who you were when the waiting began … and who were when the waiting was over?
I’ll admit there were a lot of years when it was all about the waiting and the wanting for me.
But I’m learning to be more aware of what God’s accomplishing in my heart while I’m waiting. I’m learning to listen to what He might be saying to me — about why I want something or about what my reaction might be if I don’t get what I want. I’m learning to understand that even if the waiting seems unbearable and even if it looks like nothing is happening, that doesn’t mean God isn’t accomplishing things that I can’t see. He’s working on the circumstances, yes, but God is also working within other people’s lives and within my own life during the waiting. He’s readying for whatever the final outcome is, whether it’s the answer I wanted or not … or even more waiting.
In Your Words: What have you learned while you’ve waited?
Oh … the book I read by Robin Jones Gunn? It’s titled How My Book Became a Movie.
Click to tweet:
The Lesson in the Waiting via @bethvogt #InOthersWords #quote #waiting http://wp.me/p63waO-2e1
Comments 9
I’m not sure if she said it or if reading about her life taught me that God’s answers to prayers are yes, no, or wait. Sometimes in waiting, the thing we longed for so much becomes less important and we’re okay, maybe even thankful, that it doesn’t happen. At other times it looks like a door has closed, and then God totally amazes us by opening it again like He did for me recently. Waiting can be a good thing because then it confirms the value of what we had hoped for and makes it even more precious and through His hands, not just our own efforts.
Author
So much truth in this sentence, Dee: “Waiting can be a good thing because then it confirms the value of what we had hoped for and makes it even more precious and through His hands, not just our own efforts.”
And yes, there are times we end up thankful that we didn’t receive what we prayed and waited for.
Each moment spent waiting has its own unique value, deserving of its own cherishing, and will never come again.
Author
Yes, Andrew, the very moments we spend waiting are valuable … and should not be ignored.
Waiting helped me to learn how to enjoy the journey.
Author
Pat:
Enjoying the journey often means enjoying those we meet along the way and being thankful for the lessons learned and the gifts received along the way, too.
This is so beautiful and exactly what I needed to hear this morning. Thank you, Beth! And thank the Lord for His impeccable timing.
The waiting is definitely hard. But the joy that I’ve learned to see in that waiting… that surpasses my understanding. It’s like nothing else I’ve experienced. That joy is a tangible showing of God’s intricate plan for me and my life. It’s His whisper that everything is going to be okay, because He’s got me right where He needs me to be. It’s His hug when I don’t think I can stand it anymore. And it’s in His smile when He hears me tell Him, “Good morning, Daddy,” every day when I wake up. That joy is His joy, but it spills over to me every time I notice His work in the world around me, and especially in the way my heart and mind are being changed and reshaped by His hands.
I feel like that explanation is a bit disjointed, but it’s raw and real, and I don’t think I could express it any better if I tried again.
Hugs,
Andrea
Author
Andrea:
How precious that you start each day saying, “Good morning, Daddy,” to our Abba-Father. That thought brought a smile to my face. And thank you for being raw and real … and it’s so true that in the waiting God changes and reshapes our hearts and minds.
Beth, reading your reply was like receiving a warm hug from a dear friend. Kind of like that one I received from you in front of Panera. Thank you for always encouraging me. May God repay you with a double portion of His kindness.