In The Waiting

Hi friends – as I pondered what to write about this month, I thought about the season of waiting I happen to be in. We all enter this space at times and if we’re honest, it’s rarely comfortable. Waiting for a decision to be made. Waiting for a lab report to come back. Waiting for a prodigal to come home. Waiting for the next paycheck. Waiting for a decades-long prayer to be answered. Waiting for the pain to stop. Waiting for things to get better. Waiting exposes where we long for control but don’t have it.

In the past, I met these times with anxiety and restlessness, often displacing emotions onto the people around me. But lately, Jesus has been gently reminding me what it means to walk by faith in the midst of the unknown. I hear Him whisper, “Carrie, do you trust Me?” And though I say, “Yes, Lord,” I’m learning that trust isn’t a one-time declaration—it’s a continual choice. It’s easy to sing the old hymn about trusting and obeying, but living it out in the wait requires lots of intention and surrender.

It comes down to choosing what I dwell on. My thoughts don’t get to lead me; I get to lead them. I choose to worship even when I don’t feel happy. I choose to pray even when my flesh doesn’t want to. I choose to love even when I feel empty. I choose to stand firm in faith when tempted to fear. These choices don’t mean my circumstances change, but they change me. They bring reassurance that hope isn’t rooted in outcomes—it’s rooted in the One whose hand is upon me: “Before a word is on my tongue, You know it completely, O Lord. You hem me in behind and before, and You lay Your hand upon me” (Psalm 139:4-5).

And here’s a beautiful discovery: Jesus often does His most transformative work in the wait. It becomes sacred when we stop rushing through it. It’s where He strengthens our character, deepens our resilience, and shapes our hearts to look more like His. When we slow down to reflect, we realize we never wait alone. God is with us—not just on the other side of breakthrough, but right here in the uncertain middle. And He is so good.

So if you find yourself in this space today, take heart. Like a quiet, snow-covered bench, a season of waiting invites us to pause and breathe in God’s presence in the stillness. It’s not wasted time. He is holding, shaping, and inviting you to trust Him in new ways. You don’t have to see the full picture. You simply get to sit with the One who loves you and in that place, there is always hope. As we move into this New Year, let’s remember that the Savior who came to rescue us from sin and death brings new life – even in the waiting.

Coaching Connection:

1. What season of waiting have you recently been in?
2. What has God taught you through it?

To Your Growth,

 

 

Photo courtesy of PikWizard