Purposeful Waiting

“Waiting on God isn’t about the suspension of meaning and purpose. It’s part of the meaning and purpose that God has brought into my life. Waiting on God isn’t to be viewed as an obstruction in the way of the plan. Waiting is an essential part of the plan. For the child of God, waiting isn’t simply about what I’ll receive at the end of my wait. No, waiting is much more purposeful, efficient, and practical than that. Waiting is fundamentally about what I’ll become as I wait. God is using the wait to do in and through me exactly what He’s promised. Through the wait He’s changing me. By means of the wait He’s altering the fabric of my thoughts and desires. Through the wait He’s causing me to see and experience new things about Him and His kingdom. And all of this sharpens me, enabling me to be a more useful tool in His redemptive hands.”        ~Paul Tripp

I came across this quote this morning as I was reading a blog post from "Women Living Well", and it really grabbed my attention. Maybe it speaks to you as well.  I don't know about you, but I don't really enjoy waiting.  But life is filled with "waiting opportunities", isn't it?  Waiting in the doctor's office; waiting in line at the grocery store or the post office; waiting for that red light to turn green; waiting for the check to come in the mail; waiting for ...............  You can fill in your own blank.

In our society these days there are a lot of people waiting.  Waiting for a job.  Waiting for a house to sell.  Waiting for some good news about a health diagnosis.  Again, the list could be very long.

We've been hoping to sell our house.  And this is definitely NOT a good time to be trying to sell a house.  We're waiting.  Hoping for some positive news.  And it isn't coming.

I feel like I have been in a waiting mode for a long time.  About the house, but not just about the house.  For a number of years, nearly a decade really, my life has in many ways been time in waiting mode.  Under a cloud.  Battling depression.  Dealing with some tough stuff.  That isn't to say that every minute of the last eight years has been horrid.  But there have been some really difficult times.  Without rehashing all the details, let's just say that I have really struggled.  Struggled to understand "why".  Struggled to understand what God was trying to teach me.  Struggled to see light at the end of the tunnel. 

These last few years of my journey have been hard.  Lots of bends in the road.  Lots of potholes along the way.  Lots of clouds in my sky.  There have been occasional bursts of sunshine along the way.  But they have been followed by more clouds and storms.  Life has been tough.  Daddy used to often say "life is hard by the yard, but by the inch it's a cinch!".  I'm sure that wasn't original.  But appropriate.  Life is hard.  So, taking one step at a time and keeping my focus lifted upward - not on the circumstances, but on the One who knows best - is really the only way to get through it.

I'm not sure I have learned all the lessons I needed to learn through these tough times.  I'm not sure I have been a very good student!  But somehow I'm beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel!  I can't explain it.  It just "feels like" the clouds are lifting.  I hope I'm right about that! Somehow, I'm beginning to get some perspective, some understanding of what's been going on with me over these last few years. But no matter what,  I'm holding on to the truth that God is at work. That waiting is about "what I become AS I WAIT."  That God is at work in my life even when it doesn't feel like it and I can't understand.  That life is all about Him and not about me.  And that "He who began a good work in (me) will be faithful to complete it."  (Philippians 1:6)