[Original Post Date: May 24, 2021]
I used to hate seasons of waiting. The uncomfortability of the unknown drove me into the arms of impatience and anxiety. I was restless for release and desperate for clues about what was on the other side of the excruciating waiting period.
These days I find myself waiting again. Waiting for God’s next assignment. Waiting for Him to activate a dream or pour out fresh vision. The funny thing about this season of waiting is that it feels different. The impatience and poor attitude that prevented me from seeing the gifts of a waiting season, the work that God was inviting me to do, have vanished. Instead, I see this season of waiting as an opportunity to do some necessary inner work.
How do you spend seasons of waiting? Frustrated? In a state of biding? Anxious? Whether you are 2 days, 2 weeks, or 2 years into your waiting I want to invite you to take this time to do some work. Press into heart work to prepare for what comes next, identify areas in need of deeper connection with your Creator, or find healing for that wound that’s been silently festering.
One of the great opportunities embedded in a season of waiting is the ability to take stock of your emotional health. Consider the last time you consciously paused and named your emotions. I’m not just talking glad, mad, or sad. I mean really stopping to identify and honor the emotions that are driving your mood and impacting your influence.
Our God is gracious enough to give us space to prepare our hearts for what comes next. Think of Elijah, one of the most powerful prophets to ever walk the planet. Even he needed time to rest and recharge. Even he felt fear and fatigue.
Just like the powerful prophet, you are allowed to feel your emotions. It is okay to take the rest you need to show up in the next season of life refueled, recharged and ready to take on whatever God pours out. Imagine how the posture of your heart and the state of your emotional health will impact all that God has in store for you on the other side of this waiting period.
Consider taking up a daily journaling practice to reflect on the emotions you felt throughout the day. You might also set a daily reminder in your phone to stop and check in with your heart. Or you might download a list of emotions that go beyond glad, mad and sad, and keep it somewhere visible as a reminder to get in touch with what you are feeling.
Getting more in tune with your emotions isn’t just a way to do inner work while you wait. Embracing your emotions also has a way of pinpointing spiritual stress fractures.
Connecting with God in seasons of waiting can be tough. If you’re anything like me, it can be hard to draw close to the one that seems to be holding you back. Trust me when I say working on your connection with the Creator is always worth it. In fact, sometimes God orchestrates quiet, uneventful, or disappointing seasons to intentionally draw us closer to Him.
It may feel like God has hit pause on your progress or put pressure on a pain point but the truth is the most productive thing we will ever do in this life is continually grow in our love and understanding for our God. Take this time to examine aspects of your spiritual life that feel off or out of sync. It might be tough to wait right now, but you will want to be spiritually tough for what comes next.
How can you grow even closer to your creator as you wait for what comes next?
You might spend more time in prayer, download or purchase a study that deepens your understanding of a theological principle (fasting, sabbath, etc.) or make a practice of noticing God’s voice in various ways throughout your day.
Another way we can work in the waiting is through healing. Could it be that God is beckoning you in this season to heal some church hurt, make amends with an estranged friend, or explore the root of your addiction?
I won’t sugarcoat this: healing work will very likely be an unpleasant process. It’s easy to set goals, pursue self-improvement and bask in the glow of our achievements. It’s not so easy to press into the work of healing wounds from the past. But it’s worth it.
Just like emotional awareness and spiritual connectedness, healing work will increase your impact and influence. Take this time to heal. You don’t have to walk around with open heart wounds, throbbing scars and walls that shut others out. Your waiting season can be an opportunity to heal the wounds that hold you back from all that God has prepared for you.
Now might be an optimal time to work with a counselor, initiate reconciliation, or find closure. Prayerfully considers the hurts and wounds you’ve been walking around with. God is creating space to heal.
I don’t know why you are in a season of waiting. And I’m sorry if you’re feeling frustrated, scared, or confused. Know this: your period of waiting is not a waste. There is fruitful work to be done.
Are you up for it?
