Seasons of Waiting

Written by Amanda Allums
 
The Bible says life is a vapor, but it also speaks of seasons and purpose. The Bible is full of what we might think are contradictions. But I have come to learn that, just like there is a reason the Bible was not put together in chronological order, there is a reason our lives take twists and turns and may feel like a roller coaster at times. Sometimes, we rush things and get out of God’s perfect will for our lives, and that can disrupt the heavenly order of things. When we don’t allow ourselves to experience things on God’s timeline, we can miss out on so many blessings, or even lessons, that could ultimately change our lives.
 
Let me give you an example based on personal experience. Those who know me know I love to bake. When we rush things and get impatient waiting on God, it's as if we mix together all the ingredients for the most perfect chocolate cake in the world and everything is set for it to turn out divine and scrumptious. But, instead of preheating the oven and placing the cake inside when it’s ready and waiting on it to slowly bake, we decide to stick it in the microwave because we get impatient. If we take time to create the recipe, purchase the ingredients, and mix it all together, then why would we ruin it by trying to bake it in a microwave? Simply because we get tired of waiting. We sacrifice quality and taste because of our impatience. We risk the cake being ruined, or less than what it could be, because of our impatience.  
 
Such is our actions when we are faced with a difficult situation. We ruin opportunities, open the wrong doors, settle for option B, all because we get selfish and impatient. Whether it be in our marriages, children, jobs, ministries, or even our own health, we can’t rush seasons, and we certainly can’t rush life. There may be a lesson to be learned, a seed to be watered, or a branch to be pruned. The very thing that we see as a hindrance may very well be a stepping stone! We just need to learn how to step on it instead of letting it trip us up. Philippians 4:6 says, "Don't be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks." We need to be thankful for what God has given us and what He has already done for us. When we have a grateful heart, what truly matters in life becomes much clearer.
 
So, how do we see things for what they really are? How do we know when to step onto that stone or when we should stop in our tracks to avoid a fall? The answer to that is so simple, that most people don’t like it when they hear it: read God’s Word and pray that the Holy Spirit will speak to you. If you stay in the Word, you will read things like Psalm 32:8 that says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you”.  
 
Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path”. When you read your Word and pray on a regular basis, then the answers to the harder things in life come from what God has deposited in your heart from His Word. Remember, the truth cuts like a sword; so I am not saying the answers will come easy, but I am saying they will be clear as crystal when they do come.
 
The answers I needed during some harder times in my life did not come easily and certainly did not come when or how I thought they would. I have tried to do things in my own strength way too many times. The answers to some of the hardest questions I ever asked God were actually found through my very own trials and stepping stones. In fact, one answer came when I was burning the midnight oil praying for my oldest child to come out of the gutter of life. This answer came from God Himself when I was laying on my tear-soaked pillow. Another answer came when I was outside late at night staring up at the pitch-black night sky rebuking the devil.
 
Admittedly, my answers came when I least expected them to. They came in the waiting. They came when I let go, stopped trying to solve things on my own, and let God be in control of my outlook, emotions, actions, and thoughts. He is, after all, the author and finisher of my faith; so I would be hindering my own prayers by not allowing my faith to work on my family’s behalf! “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” --Jeremiah 17:7-8. We need to be like that tree!
 
If you are struggling with what seems like an unanswered prayer, let me leave you with this: always be grateful, read your Bible and pray, and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you, even in the places you would least expect it. Trust in God and what His Word says, and He will come through for you who are faithful and living according to His Word. While you are waiting, remember this scripture: “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” --Philippians 4:7. Thank You Jesus for the comfort and assurance that while we are waiting, He is guarding our heart!